Ingredients
Method
Prep the cucumber.
- Peel it, cut it in half lengthwise and scoop out the seeds with a spoon. Grate it on the large holes of a box grater.
Salt and rest.
- Toss the grated cucumber with a pinch of salt. Leave it in a sieve for 10 minutes.
Squeeze hard.
- Wrap the cucumber in a clean kitchen towel or cheesecloth and squeeze until almost dry. You should get a surprising amount of water out.
Make the garlic paste.
- Crush the garlic with a pinch of salt using a mortar and pestle, or the flat of a knife, until it becomes a smooth paste.
Mix.
- Add the yogurt to a bowl. Stir in the garlic paste, olive oil and vinegar, then fold in the cucumber (and dill, if using).
- Taste and adjust.
- Add salt, a little more garlic or a splash more vinegar if needed.
Chill.
- Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour so the flavors settle and the garlic mellows.
- Serve. Spoon into a bowl, make a small well in the center and drizzle with olive oil.
Video
Notes
For the thickest tzatziki, salt the grated cucumber and squeeze it as dry as you can, then use full-fat strained yogurt. Chill for at least an hour before serving. It tastes even better the next day, and keeps for up to 3 days in the fridge.
Crush the garlic with a pinch of salt into a smooth paste before adding it to the yogurt. It blends evenly and avoids sharp raw bites. Let the tzatziki rest in the fridge for an hour, and the garlic will mellow into a rounder flavor.