Seasonal Pantry: Skordalia is the irresistible dip of Greece

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.

And please note that this is not something that can be accomplished effectively in a blender or food processor.

When the garlic is very smooth, fold in the egg yolks. Cover and set aside briefly.

Break each potato in half and fit a potato ricer or a food mill with its smallest blade.

If using a ricer, put the potato into it, broken side down, and press it into a deep bowl.

Discard the skin and continue until all of the potatoes have been riced.

If using a food mill, use a soup spoon to remove the potato from its skin and pass it through the mill into a deep bowl.

Using a rubber spatula, fold the garlic mixture into the riced potatoes, mixing until uniformly smooth.

Begin to mix in the olive oil, a few tablespoons at a time. Mix thoroughly after each addition.

When you’ve added about half a cup of olive oil, you’ll have achieved a texture similar to rich mashed potatoes. Keep going, adding more olive oil until you have used the entire cup.

At this point, the mixture should be luscious and smooth, not rough as mashed potatoes can be. If it seems a tad dry, add up to another one-quarter cup of olive oil.

Taste the mixture for salt. If the flavors have not blossomed, add about a teaspoon of salt, placing it in one spot and squeezing half the lemon juice over it.

Mix well, taste again and, if the flavors still seem a tad flat, add another 1/2 to 1 teaspoon of salt, squeeze the remaining lemon juice over it and mix thoroughly. If necessary, continue to taste for salt until the mixture soars with flavor.

Spoon into a serving bowl, cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

Garnish with a few chive flowers or society garlic flowers and serve with toasted baguette slices or crackers of choice.

Skordalia will keep, covered and refrigerated for 3 to 4 days.

Note: To crush and peel garlic, first separate the cloves from the main root and stem.

Next, cut off the root tip of each clove. Using the flat side of a broad knife, press down on each clove until you hear it collapse.

The skins will then come off quite easily.

Michele Anna Jordan is author of 24 books to date, including “The Good Cook’s Book of Oil & Vinegar.” Email her at michele@micheleannajordan.com.