Some years ago, my sister, Jan, loaned me a book to read – she thought that I might enjoy it. The memoir of man who moved to Greece to write a novel, and stayed for 20 plus years. I enjoyed the book so much that I bought it, and am always bringing it off the shelf, particularly for Tom’s recipe for Tzatziki!
The book, The Summer of my Greek Tavérna, a memoir by Tom Stone, published in 2002 is a wonderful read and has a selection of recipes at the end. Jan had tried the Tzatziki recipe and told me how great it was – she was right, it is amazing, and always so popular when it’s served as a dip, or an accompaniment with a platter of kofta. It’s deliciously thick, creamy and has a little bite from the garlic and white pepper!
I’ve adapted the recipe a little over time, but is still very similar to the one published.
- 225 g Greek yoghurt
- 125 g grated continental cucumber
- 20 ml extra virgin olive oil
- 10 g garlic, crushed
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
- 1/8 tsp fine ground white pepper
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Line a strainer with muslin and place the strainer over a bowl.
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Spoon the yoghurt into the lined strainer and place into the refrigerator for a minimum of one (1) hour to drain.
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Place the grated cucumber into a dish and sprinkle over the salt. Cover and place into the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
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Remove the yoghurt from the refrigerator and discard the whey that has drained off.
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Place the yoghurt into a bowl and add the olive oil, crushed garlic and white pepper. Stir until well combined.
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Drain the cucumber and place it into a clean tea towel or muslin. Squeeze well to remove any excess moisture.
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Add the cucumber to the yoghurt mixture and mix well to combine.
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Place into a serving dish and cover.
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Refrigerate until required.
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Drizzle with a little extra virgin olive oil to serve.
Adapted from the Tzatziki recipe in the book, "The Summer of my Greek Taverna", a memoir by Tom Stone (p. 206).
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