Tzatziki
Yoghurt, cucumber, garlic and dill
The whole difference between good and watery tzatziki is salting and draining the cucumber. It takes twenty minutes and there is no way round it.
Ingredients
- 1 large cucumber
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt, for drawing
- 2 cups thick Greek yoghurt
- 2 garlic cloves, crushed to a paste with salt
- 2 tablespoons chopped dill
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- Kosher salt and black pepper
Instructions
- Halve the cucumber lengthwise, scrape out the seeds with a teaspoon, and grate coarsely.
- Toss the grated cucumber with the teaspoon of salt and leave in a sieve for 20 minutes. Then squeeze it hard in a clean cloth — you will be surprised how much water comes out.
- Stir the drained cucumber into the yoghurt with the garlic paste, dill, lemon juice and olive oil.
- Season with salt and pepper. Chill for an hour before serving.
- Finish with another drizzle of olive oil at the table.
Notes
- Crushing the garlic with salt rather than chopping it keeps it from being harsh in the raw sauce.
- Mint in place of dill is equally traditional.