Cypriot Skordalia (Garlic Potato Dip with Almonds)
A bold, silky Cypriot garlic dip built on boiled potatoes, toasted almonds, plenty of raw garlic, red wine vinegar and good olive oil. Serve it with fried fish, roasted beets, or crusty bread.
- Prep
- 29 min
- Cook
- 23 min
- Wait
- 43 min
- Total
- 1 hr 35 min
- Makes
- About 3 cups (8 servings as a dip or side)
Steps
Before you start
- Use a starchy or all-purpose potato such as Russet or Yukon Gold; waxy potatoes turn gluey and heavy.
- Peel the garlic first. Raw garlic is strong, so start with 6 cloves and add more to taste at the end.
- Do not use a food processor for the potatoes. Over-working them makes the dip gummy. A ricer or hand masher is best.
- Plan about 1 hour 35 minutes in total; the dip tastes best after resting 30 minutes, when the garlic mellows and flavors blend.
Toast the almonds
- Set an 8-inch (20 cm) dry skillet over medium heat.
- Add the almonds and toast, stirring often, for 4 to 5 minutes.
- Tip onto a plate and cool completely, about 10 minutes.
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Ready when: Almonds are light golden, fragrant, and have a few darker flecks.
Tip: Pull them off the heat the moment they smell nutty; they keep darkening on the hot pan.
Boil the potatoes
- Put the potato chunks in a 4-quart saucepan and cover with cold water by 1 inch (2.5 cm).
- Add 1 tablespoon kosher salt.
- Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce to medium and simmer 15 to 20 minutes.
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Ready when: A paring knife slides into the center of a chunk with no resistance, and the edges just begin to crumble.
Tip: Starting in cold water cooks the potatoes evenly through.
Reserve water and drain
- Scoop out ¼ cup (60 ml) of the cooking water and set it aside.
- Drain the potatoes in a colander and let them steam-dry for 3 minutes so the surface moisture evaporates.
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Ready when: Potato surfaces look matte and dry, with no standing water in the colander.
Grind almonds and garlic
- In a mortar, pound the garlic with 1 teaspoon fine salt into a smooth paste, about 3 minutes.
- Add the cooled almonds and pound or grind to a fine, slightly coarse meal.
- If using a small food processor, pulse the garlic, salt and almonds for 20 to 30 seconds, scraping down once.
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Ready when: No visible garlic pieces remain, and the almonds look like coarse sand.
Tip: Salt acts as an abrasive that helps break down the garlic.
Rice the potatoes
- Pass the warm potatoes through a ricer into a large bowl, or mash with a hand masher until no lumps remain.
- Work while they are still warm; cold potatoes absorb oil poorly.
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Ready when: The potato is fluffy and completely free of lumps.
Tip: Never use a blender or food processor here, as it turns the starch gluey.
Add the flavorings
- Stir the garlic-almond mixture and the red wine vinegar into the warm potatoes with a wooden spoon until evenly combined, about 1 minute.
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Ready when: The mixture looks uniformly speckled with no white streaks of plain potato.
Beat in the oil
- Pour in ½ cup (120 ml) olive oil in a slow, steady stream, about 1 tablespoon at a time, beating firmly after each addition.
- Once the oil is in, beat in the reserved warm cooking water 1 tablespoon at a time.
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Ready when: The dip is thick, glossy and creamy, and holds a soft peak when you lift the spoon.
Tip: Adding oil too fast makes the dip look greasy and split. If that happens, beat in 1 tablespoon warm water.
Season and rest
- Taste and add more salt, a splash of vinegar, or one more crushed garlic clove if you like.
- Cover and let the skordalia rest at room temperature for 30 minutes so the garlic mellows and the flavors meld.
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Ready when: The dip tastes bright, garlicky and balanced, with tang but no harsh rawness.
Tip: The dip thickens as it rests; stir in a spoonful of warm water to loosen if needed.
Serve
- Spoon into a shallow bowl, swirl the top with the back of a spoon, drizzle with the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil, and scatter with parsley, if using.
Good to know
Tips
- Season the potato cooking water well; it seasons the potato from within.
- Mash while the potatoes are hot for the smoothest, creamiest result.
- Taste before adding more garlic; the flavor intensifies as the dip rests.
- Serve with fried salt cod, zucchini fritters, roasted beets, or warm pita.
Make ahead
Make up to 2 days ahead and refrigerate in an airtight container. Bring to room temperature for 30 minutes and stir in a spoonful of warm water and a drizzle of olive oil before serving.
Storage & reheating
Room temperature: up to 2 hours. Refrigerator: airtight, up to 4 days; the garlic gets stronger over time. Freezer: not recommended, as the texture turns grainy. To serve from the fridge, let it sit 30 minutes and loosen with warm water.
Substitutions
- blanched whole almonds → walnuts or day-old white bread (crusts removed, soaked and squeezed dry). Walnuts give a slightly more bitter, earthy flavor; bread is a traditional alternative to nuts. Use about 3 slices.
- red wine vinegar → fresh lemon juice. Use the same amount for a brighter, fruitier tang.
- Russet or Yukon Gold potatoes → 1 lb (450 g) potatoes plus 4 slices day-old white bread (crusts removed, soaked and squeezed dry). This gives a lighter, more bread-based skordalia. Sweet potatoes are not suitable.
- extra-virgin olive oil → mild light olive oil. Use if your extra-virgin oil is very peppery or bitter.
