Skordalia

Method

1. 1
   • potato 600 g
   • water 1 dl

   Boil the potatoes soft — Put the potatoes in a pan of cold salted water, bring to the boil and cook for 15-18 minutes, until a knife slides in with no resistance at all. Anything less and the purée will stay lumpy.

   ⏱17 min
2. 2
   • garlic 4
   • almonds 60 g
   • salt 1 tsp

   Pound garlic and almonds — While they cook, pound the garlic with the salt in a mortar until it turns to a wet white cream, then work in the almonds a handful at a time until you have a coarse, oily paste.

3. 3
   • potato 600 g
   • water 1 dl

   Mash the potatoes hot — Drain the potatoes, saving 100 ml of the cooking water. Return them to the hot pan for a minute over low heat to steam dry, then mash them smooth while they are still steaming — never in a food processor, which turns them to glue.

4. 4
   • garlic 4
   • almonds 60 g
   • olive oil 1½ dl

   Beat in the olive oil — Beat the garlic and almond paste into the hot mash with a wooden spoon, then add the olive oil in a thin stream, beating hard between additions so it is fully absorbed each time. The purée will stiffen and turn glossy.

5. 5
   • potato 600 g
   • red wine vinegar 2 tbsp
   • lemon juice 1 tbsp
   • salt 1 tsp
   • water 1 dl

   Loosen and sharpen — Loosen with the reserved potato water a spoonful at a time until it is thick but spoonable, then beat in the vinegar and lemon juice. Taste for salt and sharpness — it should sting pleasantly. Serve warm or at room temperature with fried fish or boiled beetroot.