Move over boring mashed potatoes for this amazing, garlicky Greek dip. This dip is absolutely wonderful. Lots of garlic with a hint of tartness from the vinegar make these creamy mashed potatoes my favorite. Although the traditional recipe calls for smooth potatoes, I tend to leave these with a touch of fine texture, something I personally enjoy. Potatoes are the most common vegetable that is used for a skordalia, but you can also use beets, bread, parsnips and sometimes ground nuts. All of these will have slightly different flavors and textures, but they are all delicious. This super simple dish is served as a dip, but I also serve it as a side for stews, grilled meats and other main courses, and also as a filling for omelettes and as a topping for crostini grilled with some cheese (feta or Parmesan cheese) on top. It is very versatile, and once you taste it, you will also find tremendous use for it. This cookbook is from another of my favorite chefs, Maria Elia. A wonderful cook, a wonderful person, check out how she and her kitchen supported hospitals in London during the pandemic, and recipe creator. Her cookbooks are absolutely delicious, her recipes creative and full of flavor. This is one of the cookbooks I use for my fine catering business, all the time.
Here is another recipe for Indian-style mashed potatoes that also rocks!
For more wonderful recipes from this cookbook, click here.
Ingredients:
1 1/2 lbs potatoes, peeled, cubed and boiled in salted water
3-4 garlic cloves, minced
Sea salt and white pepper to taste
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar or lemon juice
4-5 tablespoons EVOO
Add the garlic, pepper, and salt to a mortar and pestle and pound into a smooth paste.
Add the boiled potatoes, red wine vinegar, olive oil and garlic paste to a bowl and mash by hand or a potato masher to a smooth consistency. Traditionally, this dip is very smooth but I personally prefer it slightly lumpy and with a fine texture. You want the final mash to be thick and pungent. Taste and adjust salt, acid from the vinegar or lemon juice and the garlic.
Serve cold or at room temperature drizzled liberally with olive oil.