Tzatziki (Barefoot Contessa) Ina Garten

Submitted by Chef #756319

"This recipe is easy to assemble, although it takes a bit of planning"

 

• Ready In: 15mins
• Ingredients: 11
• Yields: 2 1/2 cups

ingredients

• 1 lb plain yogurt (whole milk or low fat)
• 1 hothouse cucumber, unpeeled and seeded
• 1 tablespoon kosher salt
• 1⁄2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1⁄2 cup sour cream
• 1 tablespoon champagne vinegar or 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (1 lemon)
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 1⁄2 teaspoons minced garlic
• 1 1⁄2 teaspoons minced fresh dill
• 1 pinch fresh ground black pepper

directions

1. Place the yogurt in a cheesecloth or paper towel-lined sieve and set it over a bowl. Grate the cucumber and toss it with 1 tablespoon of kosher salt; place it in another sieve, and set it over another bowl. Place both bowls in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 hours so the yogurt and cucumber can drain.
2. Transfer the thickened yogurt to a large bowl. Squeeze as much liquid from the cucumber as you can and add the cucumber to the yogurt. Mix in the sour cream, vinegar, lemon juice, olive oil, garlic, dill, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and pepper. You can serve it immediately, but I prefer to allow the tzatziki to sit in the refrigerator for a few hours for the flavors to blend. Serve chilled or at room temperature.

Reviews

[JOY1998]

Very good. I liked the combination of yogurt (I used Greek Yogurt) and sour cream. I had to use dried dill, but I don't believe that affected the wonderful flavor. I used a coffee filter in the sieve instead of the cheesecloth and let the yogurt and cucumbers drain overnight through the sieves. I served this sauce with Recipe 13285 (Greek-styke turkey burgers). Thank you for posting this recipe. I will definitely be using this again.

 

[Cristina Barry]

Recently used this recipe for my Greek themed party. It was DELICIOUS!! Slight changes made include using a tablespoon of good dried mint (rubbed between my hands) instead of dill. Something I learned from my Cypriot friend. I used three mini cukes instead of one hothouse cucumber. Also, as mentioned by the first reviewer, its very important to squeeze the water from the cukes. I grate the cucumbers, add them to a sieve, sprinkly a pinch of salt and let them sit. Every couple of minutes, I squeeze the build in water. Thank you for posting this great recipe.

 

[Willowbranch]

I really like this recipe. I threw a Birthday party for a friend of mine & made this to accompany the grilled lamb. It has the right combo of fresh & tart. Be sure to squeeze as much liquid from the cukes as possible as this will water down the sauce. It's better made the day before, just stir well before serving.