Skordalia - Garlic dip with bread and walnuts

"Skordalia" is one of the two best friends of the fried salt cod but also accompanies other kind of fried fish or sea food, fried aubergines and other boiled or fried veggies or greens as well as other meze type of dishes. You can make skordalia with potatoes or bread. I prefer the latter version with walnuts in and that's the recipe today, but I will give you eventually the potato version so to have the chance to try both and see the difference. In older times they used to make the skordalia in a wooden or bronze mortar and personally I prefer this way because it is more chunky. Still, today I present to you both methods and you choose which one is more suitable for you

Ingredients (for 4-6 people):
3 tbsp minced garlic
6 slices white bread, crusts removed (soaked in some cold water and squeezed dry)
2-3 tbsp of walnuts, roughly chopped
240ml of olive oil
80ml white wine vinegar
Salt
pepper

Method:

The mortar and pestle one:
Combine the minced garlic with the bread in a mortar and whisk gently to form a soft paste.

Add olive oil and vinegar in turns, little by little, stirring briskly. Add the walnuts in and keep stirring

Add salt and pepper to taste. Continue to whisk until sauce is thick and chunky (coarse).


The blender or food processor one:
Place the garlic and the bread in a bowl and blend.

Add olive oil and vinegar and continue to blend. Add the walnuts and blend again.

If the skordalia seems too thick, add 1 tbsp of cold water, keep blending and see if it needs a bit more.
Add salt and pepper to taste and blend again until you have a creamy and thick sauce.