Is your favourite skordalia with potato, bread, or a combination of both? Do you want it velvety and smooth like mayonnaise or thicker? Strong garlic or milder? Do you accompany it with beets? Do you add walnuts? Some parts of Greece, such as the Ionian, call it "aliada," where they put lemon instead of vinegar and, optionally, some of the juice in which the cod was boiled.
There are certainly many variations of our favourite side dish—cod—and obviously, what one chooses is a matter of personal taste because food is not only a pleasure but also a memory. Many people love the skordalia they are used to eating from their mother, grandmother, or whoever cooked it regularly at home and are often asked to relive this experience.
We love well-made spreads and have all those little secrets for you to achieve the perfect texture and taste, whatever your preference. And with the most special combinations—which are in our recipe archive—we may pique your interest in trying a new version.
For Skordalia with potato
Mash the boiled potatoes while they are still hot. It's best not to let them get cold. Use a mortar and pestle to crush the garlic, and even use salt to help mash it.
Then, add the mashed potatoes and work again with the pestle. However, passing it through a mixer will be necessary to make its texture more velvety. Add the vinegar with the oil.
Add extra vinegar or oil by tasting it, depending on how mild or acidic you want. Some also add a little lemon juice. Others put a whole egg into the puree.
For skordalia with bread
This type of skordalia is easier to make since the ingredients must be put in a blender and whisked well. However, the details that will make the difference are also here.
The bread must be stale, at least from the previous day. Otherwise, if it is fresh by soaking, it will dissolve, and you will not be able to squeeze it, according to the following two steps. Squeeze the bread well to avoid water and moisture in our mixture.
If, after testing, you want it thinner, add a little water and beat it well again. In this case, the salt will go in at the end. Here, too, grated nutmeg can be added, which will give it its nice nutty feel and make it richer in taste.
In both types, we recommend using mild olive oil, i.e., one that does not have a very strong taste, such as extra virgin olive oil or gourd oil, so that it does not overpower the other ingredients in the final result.
READ MORE: The secrets to frying cod.
