June marks the official start of summer in the UK, and with abundant sunshine, nobody fancies being stuck indoors preparing evening meals. Greek food proves ideal for this season as it's light, flavoursome and typically remarkably swift to make, with tzatziki ranking among the most straightforward dishes to create.
Why Use a Tea Towel for Tzatziki?
Tzatziki is a creamy garlic dip frequently accompanied by grilled meats at barbecues or used in wraps for picnics, though it's equally delightful served simply with warm bread or crisps. It generally tastes superior when homemade, taking mere minutes to prepare using basic ingredients most households already stock.
Nevertheless, Jeanine Donofrio, a cook and founder of Love and Lemons, has revealed that while tzatziki is straightforward to create, employing a tea towel proves crucial for achieving maximum creaminess and thickness.
Jeanine said: "Squeeze the water out of the grated cucumber. This step is essential for making a creamy tzatziki - if you skip it, the water from the cucumber will cause your sauce to separate. Squeeze the cucumber directly over the sink, or press it lightly between kitchen or paper towels."
Cucumber plays a vital role in tzatziki by providing the dip's refreshing taste, yet it holds substantial water content and incorporating it directly into the bowl can result in the mixture becoming saturated with surplus liquid.
This dilutes the tzatziki sauce, rendering it watery, meaning it won't properly coat bread, crisps, vegetables or meat. Failing to remove this excess moisture will also result in the dip having an overwhelming cucumber taste rather than a garlicky one, meaning it simply won't deliver the depth of flavour it should.
While many people simply toss all the ingredients into a bowl together, if you're looking for a creamier, richer and more authentic tzatziki, it's well worth spending a couple of minutes preparing the cucumber correctly.
How to Make Proper Tzatziki Sauce
You will need:
- 240g of Greek yoghurt
- Half a cucumber (around 75g)
- One tablespoon of lemon juice
- One garlic clove (grated)
- One tablespoon of chopped dill
- One tablespoon of mint (optional)
- Half a tablespoon of extra-virgin olive oil
- A pinch of sea salt
Method:
Start by grating the cucumber and garlic. Then, wrap the cucumber in a clean tea towel and gently squeeze out as much liquid as possible.
Next, combine the cucumber, garlic, yoghurt, lemon juice, olive oil, salt, dill and mint (if using) in a medium-sized bowl. Mix everything thoroughly until you achieve a smooth, consistent sauce.
You can serve it straight away if you prefer, but for an even better result, cover the bowl and refrigerate for a minimum of 30 minutes.
This allows all the flavours to meld together, producing a noticeably brighter and more garlicky taste, as the sauce tends to develop a superior texture once chilled.
Tzatziki works brilliantly as a standalone dip alongside crisps, crackers or chopped fresh vegetables. It also pairs wonderfully with Mediterranean salads, sandwiches, and even draped over grilled meats for those planning a summer barbecue.
