Skordalia with Bread and Walnuts
The memory of a skordalia (garlic dip) that I ate more than half of my lifetime ago has remained with me since then. It was a skordalia made with walnuts and had a lovely nutty taste and texture. As I have travelled and eaten my way through Greece during many family trips, I hoped to chance upon such a skordalia. This last summer in Greece, my hope was realised when lunching at Ta Platania in Diava, Thessalia. You cannot imagine my delight and excitement when we were served the skordalia and it tasted just as I had remembered. I immediately asked if the recipe could be shared, and Eleni Giannakou, owner and cook, generously agreed. Make this dip and make your own delicious skordalia memories today!
Ingredients
400 g stale, dense bread (without crust)
water to soak the bread
150 g walnuts
10-12 cloves garlic
150 ml red wine vinegar
150 ml extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)
1/2 tablespoon salt
Breadcrumbs (if required)
Preparation
Watch the full recipe video below. Subscribe to my YouTube channel by clicking the Subscribe link on the video
Preparing the Skordalia
Soak the bread in water and then squeeze out all of the water. Place the bread in a bowl
In a food processor, grind the walnuts, so that they are neither too coarse nor too fine and add them to the bowl
Blitz the garlic with the vinegar in the food processor and add them to the bowl too
Add the EVOO and the salt. Mix well ensuring there are no lumps of bread in the mixture. You can thicken the mixture with some breadcrumbs if needed
Serving the Skordalia
Serve the skordalia as a spread for bread and crackers; or as an accompaniment to your cooked meats and vegetables. We have chosen to serve it with floured and fried zucchini slices.
Enjoy!
