Roasted Garlic Skordalia Food

SKORDALIA (GREEK GARLIC-POTATO SPREAD)

Steps:

• Boil the peeled, diced potatoes in salted water 15-20 minutes until soft, then rinse in a colander under running water for 20 seconds to remove some of the excess starch. Let the potatoes drain thoroughly so they are very dry, then mash with a potato ricer or potato masher.
• In a food processor, pulse the garlic and almonds into a paste with the vinegar, water, salt and pepper to form a paste. Gradually add the olive oil to the food processor and continue to mix until combined.
• Transfer the garlic paste to a large bowl with the hot mashed potatoes. Stir in the olive oil and garlic paste thoroughly until it is absorbed by the warm potatoes, (if the potatoes are cold, the olive oil won't incorporate as well).
• Serve the skordalia chilled or at room temperature with roasted beets and/or warmed pita bread cut into triangles on the side. Garnish with a sprinkle of finely chopped almonds and/or chopped fresh parsley.

SKORDALIA

Steps:

• Place the potatoes in a saucepan and cover with water. Add 1/2 teaspoon salt and bring slowly to a boil over medium heat. Cover partially, reduce the heat and simmer until the potatoes are tender all the way through when pierced with a skewer. Drain, return the potatoes to the pot, and cover tightly. Set aside for 5 minutes. Mash the potatoes through a potato ricer, a food mill, or in a standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Do not use a food processor.
• Place the garlic in a mortar and pestle with 1/4 teaspoon salt and mash to a paste. Add the nuts and pound together (you can also do this in a food processor, but do not add the potatoes to the food processor). Stir the ground nuts and garlic into the potatoes. Gradually add the olive oil, stirring all the while with a fork or a pestle. Add the lemon juice or vinegar, and salt to taste. The mixture should be like loose mashed potatoes. Taste and adjust lemon juice, vinegar, and salt. Transfer to a bowl and chill until ready to serve. If the mixture stiffens up, thin out with a little olive oil or water.

SKORDALIA (GREEK GARLIC AND POTATO SPREAD) RECIPE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C). Set cubed potatoes in a colander and rinse under cold water until water runs clear. Transfer to a large saucepan and cover with cold water by at least 2 inches. Season water with salt until it is salty like tears . Bring water to a boil over high heat, then reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until a knife easily pierces potatoes with no resistance, 10 to 15 minutes. Drain potatoes in colander, then rinse with hot running water for 30 seconds.
• Using a potato ricer or a food mill with the finest disk, mash potatoes into a large mixing bowl. Alternatively, thoroughly mash potatoes with a potato masher in a large mixing bowl.

SKORDALIA (GREEK POTATO AND GARLIC DIP)

Steps:

• Put the potatoes in a medium saucepan and cover with cold water by 2 inches and season generously with salt. Bring to a boil over high heat, lower the heat to maintain a gentle simmer and cook until very tender, about 30 minutes. Drain the potatoes and let cool slightly.
• Rub the skins off the potatoes and discard them. Coarsely chop the potatoes and puree them through a food mill or ricer into a medium bowl.
• Meanwhile, on a cutting board, lightly sprinkle the garlic with a generous pinch of the salt and smash it into a fine paste with the side of a cook's knife.
• In a food processor, combine the garlic, almonds, and oil and puree into a paste. Mix the oil mixture into the potatoes until incorporated; then mix in the 1 tablespoon and 1 teaspoon salt, water, lemon juice, and vinegar and season with pepper, to taste. Serve.

ROASTED GARLIC SKORDALIA

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
• Put unpeeled garlic on a piece of foil. Drizzle with about 1 teaspoon of the oil, season with salt and pepper. Fold the foil in to form a neat little package. Roast for about 30 minutes, until the garlic is soft but not caramelized.
• Boil the potatoes until they are very tender, and drain. Let cool slightly.
• Puree the one garlic clove into a smooth paste, using a mortar and a pestle. Add a pinch of salt and place in a bowl.
• Cut off the heads of the roasted garlic cloves with scissors and squeeze the pulp into the bowl. Combine with the raw garlic. Drizzle in the wonderful oil from the foil package also.
• When the potatoes are cool enough to handle, but still warm, peel them and add one at a time to the garlic. You can fluff them in with a fork and mix until smooth.
• Drizzle in the remaining olive oil a bit a time, making sure to have a smooth puree before adding more oil. Season with the lemon juice, salt and black pepper.
• If you want a looser sauce, add some warm water or chicken stock.
• Serve right away, or keep at room temperature for few hours. If you need to keep it longer than that, refrigerate but return to room temperature before serving.

ROASTED PEPPER SKORDALIA

Steps:

• Broil 2 large red bell peppers, turning, until charred, 15 minutes. Transfer to a bowl, cover and let steam 20 minutes. Remove the skin, stems and seeds. Puree the peppers in a blender with 1/4 cup each blanched almonds and lemon juice and 6 tablespoons olive oil; season with salt and pepper. Meanwhile, cook 2 russet potatoes (peeled and cut into chunks) and 6 smashed garlic cloves in salted simmering water until tender, about 12 minutes. Drain and return to the pot. Cook over medium heat, stirring, until dry, 2 minutes; remove from the heat and mash. Fold in the pepper puree. Drizzle with olive oil and lemon juice and top with chives.

SKORDALIA (GARLIC SAUCE)

Steps:

• Peel potato and boil until tender. Put through a ricer or sieve. Measure 1/2 cup of potato & put in a bowl; mix in garlic and salt. Gradually add olive oil and vinegar alternately while beating with a spoon. Chill. Serve with meat or fish.

SKORDALIA (GARLIC DIP)

Steps:

• Boil the potato in a small pot of salted water.
• Add the 2 cloves of garlic and sea salt to a blender or food processor, and pulse until it becomes a thick paste. Add more garlic if desired. Squeeze the water from the bread, and drain the potato, reserving some of the cooking water. Add the bread and potato to the garlic paste along with the almonds and half the lemon juice. Process until the mixture is well combined, but still slightly coarse in texture.
• While the processor is running, start to slowly pour the olive oil into the mixture. If it is too thick, add a spoonful of the reserved potato water and continue to add the oil. Once the mixture becomes lighter in color and thinner in texture, stop and taste your creation. Season with salt and pepper to taste, and add a little of the remaining lemon juice. Taste again, and if you are lucky enough to have gotten it just right, put into a bowl or jar and reserve in the fridge for up to 1 week.
• If the skordalia seems unbalanced, use your taste buds to steer you in the right direction. If you want it more pungent, add more garlic. If the garlic flavor is overpowering, add a few drops of lemon juice. Season with more salt. Blend. Taste again. Repeat as many times as needed to get it where you want it. Skordalia needs to taste good to you, not to me.