Tzatziki
 
 
Author:
Recipe type: Appetizer
Ingredients
  • 1 large English cucumber or 5 Persian Cucumber, unpeeled and grated
  • 1½ cups strained full-fat Greek yogurt (roughly 3 cups unstrained)
  • 2 large garlic cloves, finely minced
  • 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil and more for drizzling
  • 1 tbsp lemon juice
  • ½ tsp salt
  • 3 tbsp fresh dill, minced
  • 3 tbsp fresh mint, minced
Instructions
  1. Cut cheesecloth into 18 inch pieces and layer them in the strainer (I suggest using 6-8).
  2. Put yogurt in the middle of the cheesecloth. Make sure you have a bowl under the strainer to catch the liquid. Gather the access cloth of the sides and tie at the tie with string. Put in the refrigerator.
  3. Check after 1 hr to make sure the liquid dripping from yogurt is only slightly milky. If there are pieces of yogurt in the bowl, it means you're not using enough cheesecloth. In this case, add a few more layers and tie with another string.
  4. Grate your unpeeled cucumbers and put into a strainer. If you're using English cucumber, make sure you remove the seeds first.
  5. Add ½ tsp salt to the cucumbers to draw out the moisture. Leave it in the fridge overnight along with strained yogurt for 10-12 hours. If you're in a big rush, you can use your hands to press down on the cucumbers.
  6. The next day remove the yogurt and cucumbers from the fridge and combine in a medium sized bowl. Add remaining ingredients to the bowl and mix them all together.
  7. Refrigerate until ready to use.
  8. Serve in a shallow plate and garnish by drizzling olive oil, olives and fresh herbs.
Notes
You will need cheesecloth and 2 strainers or colanders for this recipe.
To speed up the straining process for both the cucumber and yogurt, you can sprinkle a little kosher salt on top to help draw out the moisture.
Recipe by The Peony Life at http://thepeonylife.com/2014/09/tzatziki/