Tzatziki sauce

Tzatziki sauce

Ingredients:
2 packages of strained greek yogurt
2-4 cloves of garlic, mashed
2 tsps vinegar
6 tsps olive oil
1 big cucumber, unseeded and grated with the skin
1 tbsp anise, finely chopped
a pinch of salt

Preparation:
For the classical tzatziki we wash the cucumber, we dry it and we grate it with its peel. We put it in a drainer, salt it as per wish, toss well to let salt go anywhere and let the cucumber for a few minutes to lose some water, to wilt. We press it with our hands well so that all excess liquid is gone and we put it in a bowl. We add the yogurt, the garlic, the vinegar, the olive oil and miss with a spoon. We taste if it needs more salt. We also taste the vinegar and we add some more if we think it is needed. Finally, we add the chopped anise. We toss well and freeze in the fridge.

Secrets for a perfect tzatziki
1. If we don't like the taste of the fresh garlic much, we can use garlic oil instead of oil. Which means we mash 4 cloves of garlic in a cup of olive in the blender. Then we put the garlic oil in a glass and leave it till garlic goes all to the bottom, then we use the olive oil only. From this olive oil we can use as many tbsps as we need and we can use in all sorts of dishes.
2. We can transform the tzatziki by adding various vegetables (for example, grated carrot) or change its taste and color completely by adding grated beetroot. It is essential that, in order to keep its firm and thick form, the yogurt must be drained and the cucumber must without its seeds and squeezed to let its water off.
3. We put the tzatziki in the fridge and, after it has been chilled, we serve as appetizer to grilled meat or pita bread.

Itadakimasu!

Dix Love,