Do you have a food or foods that you’d swear seep into your dreams, whispering “Eat me; eat me now?” Then suddenly your find yourself awake in the eerie light of the refrigerator at 3 a.m., your finger in the caramel sauce.
For me, it’s skordalia that beckons in the middle of the night, which is the main reason I don’t make it all that often. It’s that irresistible.
Skordalia, in all its variations, is one of many garlic condiments around the world; its origins are Greek. It was likely first made centuries ago with whatever bread was available. Once potatoes were introduced to the Mediterranean — they are a so-called New World plant — it became common to make it with potatoes or a combination of potatoes and almonds.
Skordalia’s cousins include Spanish alioli, French aioli, Italian agliata and Middle Eastern hummus. Although it may be served alongside grilled fish or other grilled foods, it is more typically offered as an appetizer, with crackers or bread.
When served in this way before a meal, it is best to let it take center stage, without competing condiments, cheeses and such.
If you want a bit more for, say, a pre-dinner reception, add radish wedges, thin diagonal slices of celery, halved cherry tomatoes and thinly sliced Armenian cucumbers.
With dry cider or sparkling wine alongside, you’ll have a feast that won’t leave you too full to enjoy the coming meal.
You can also use skordalia in sandwiches, replacing all other condiments. It is delicious with tomato and onion sandwiches though I think it is best with thinly sliced lamb, thinly shaved red onion and a few mint leaves, on sturdy hearth bread that has been very lightly toasted.
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Here is my favorite skordalia recipe. You’ll find other versions — using yellow split peas, almonds and vinegar — at “Eat This Now” at pantry.blogs.pressdemocrat.com.
Of the countless versions of skordalia I’ve both made and tasted, this is by far the one I prefer.
It will be best if you use local garlic, local dry-farmed potatoes and a robust, flavorful olive oil from California, preferably Sonoma County. Most recipes are flexible, but for the best results, I recommend you follow this one exactly; it is the result of many batches of this delicious condiment.
My Favorite Skordalia
Makes about 2 cups, enough for 10 to 12 as an appetizer
1 1/4 pounds potatoes, preferably dry-farmed
1 garlic bulb (preferably from a local farmers market or your own garden), cloves separated, trimmed, crushed and peeled (see Note below)
1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
2 egg yolks from backyard chickens
1 cup best-quality extra-virgin olive oil, plus more if needed
— Juice of 1 lemon
— Chive flowers or society garlic, for garnish
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Use a fork to pierce the potatoes in several places and bake them until they are tender, about 40 to 60 minutes, depending on their size.
Let the potatoes cool slightly, until they are still quite warm but easy to handle.
While the potatoes cook, put the crushed garlic cloves into a large suribachi or mortar. Sprinkle the teaspoon of salt over it.
Use a sturdy wooden pestle to grind the garlic into a nearly liquified paste. It will take a while; don’t rush and don’t worry if it is taking longer than you think it should. The more effort you put into, the better the results.
