skordalia — Greece

Skordalia is a thick puree built around a heavy dose of garlic, bound with either boiled potato or soaked stale bread, then loosened with olive oil and a splash of vinegar or lemon juice until it reaches a smooth, spreadable consistency. Some cooks add ground almonds or walnuts for extra body, but potato and bread remain the two base versions. The dish is reported throughout Greece, where it appears as one of many small plates making up a mezze spread. It is especially common alongside fried salt cod, fried vegetables such as zucchini or eggplant, or simply with bread, and is treated as a condiment as much as a dish in its own right. To prepare it, potatoes are boiled and mashed while still warm, or bread is soaked in water and squeezed dry, then pounded with crushed garlic, salt, and a little vinegar. Olive oil is worked in gradually, much as in an emulsified sauce, until the mixture turns pale, smooth, and thick enough to hold a spoon upright. This Greek version leans on potato as the base, giving a denser, starchier texture than the bread-based renditions, and keeps the garlic assertive rather than muted, so the finished spread carries a sharp, pungent bite that is meant to be eaten in small quantities alongside other dishes.