Disclaimer: This article may contain elements that go well when served with fish or when spread on bread. In a particularly hungry individual, this could cause intense drooling. If you are a vampire hunter on a mission, however, this meal is also a suitable repellent for said vampires. Hence, this should go without saying, but vampires beware! Please, turn to the lovely staff of Bella Vista Beach Hotel & Studios for further culinary inquiries.
POTATO AND GARLIC DIP HEAVEN
Potatoes. Fried, scalloped, mashed, plainly baked or as a salad – it is hard to find a preparation that the potato is not suited for. The Greeks, however, have found yet another way to enjoy potatoes. This curious food invention is called skordalia.
WHAT IS SKORDALIA?
As the name suggests, a compound of the Greek skorðo (garlic) and Italian agliata (garlicky), garlic plays the starring role. The fluffy Greek garlic sauce is a cousin to Spanish and French alioli, ajo blanco from southern Spain, and the Italian agliata. Although it could accompany main meals such as grilled fish, it is typically offered as an appetiser, with a side of crackers or bread.
Skordalia is a must-eat during Greek National Independence Day when it is served with batter-fried salted cod.
THE CORFIOT POTATO AND GARLIC DIP
In the Ionian islands, skordalia is usually called aliada. The Italian-sounding name is a result of 200 years of Venetian occupation on the islands. Yet, skordalia has a long history, and the clues for its existence are scattered across time.
It would be safe to say that skordalia is the ancestor of mayonnaise. Its use dates back to ancient Greece. During the time of the Byzantine empire, cookery was full of recipes that employed garlic in sauces for meats and vegetables. The oldest cookbooks describe skordalia as a combination of blanched almonds and mashed potatoes.
The current combination of garlic, bread and nuts is relatively “new” – it can be traced back to recipes from the Middle Ages. It should also come as no surprise that the secret to this treasure trove of deliciousness is hidden in the way that it’s prepared.
HOW TO PREPARE ALIADA
The rules for preparing the island’s aliada have developed over the centuries. The old chefs of Cephalonia have used mortar and pestle to pound garlic cloves and salt to a smooth paste. In a separate wooden or a clay plate, they would mash the potatoes. Finally, they would slowly combine each of these ingredients until they finally form the rich-flavoured aliada. Or as the Greek-American author, Diane Kochilas, puts it: “I will never forget once walking in on an old caterer friend who was making skordalia for a party—by hand, potato by potato, drop by drop of olive oil, pinch by pinch of salt, in a mortar, pounding each potato with the pestle with zen-like rhythm.”
SKORDALIA TODAY
Today, in Greece, there are different recipes for skordalia/aliada, and they vary from region to region.
Regardless of the recipe, this dip has a zesty kick from all the raw garlic, tempered by the mild flavours of the potato and olive oil. This addictive sauce is every garlic lover’s dream. Although the ensuing garlic breath might not be desirable, especially when going on a date or to the gym, it is nothing that a few mints cannot fix.
Hint: Although we do not serve it at Bella Vista Beach Hotel & Studios as a breakfast dip, we can help you with the mints!
Kαλή όρεξη (kali órexi), or bon appétit!
