Maria's tzatziki recipe

Think you know Greek cuisine? Think again. Last year, Lorna Riley got a masterclass in Mediterranean cooking during a unique visit to Corfu.

While stoppped in Corfu (Kerkyra), Lorna's group was welcomed to the Villa of the Roses, a boutique hotel, for a hands-on introduction to Corfiot cuisine with a cooking lesson which took place in the citrus grove beside the pool.

No Corfiot lunch would be complete without tzatziki. “It can be sauce, it can be a dip, it can be a spread - normally we serve it alongside meats: barbecue, roasted, grilled - any meats, tzatziki will do” announced chef Maria.

Maria’s hands a blurred as she whipped up a large bowl, decorated with olives, that Lorna's group hungrily tucked into using large chunks of bread.

Maria's tzatziki

• 1 long telegraph cucumber or 2 smaller cucumbers
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 2 cups Greek yogurt (full fat, avoid “Greek-style” yogurt, get the real thing)
• 1-2 cloves pressed garlic
• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil, preferably Greek
• 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
• ¼ cup chopped fresh mint
• ½ teaspoon fresh black pepper

Wash the cucumber and cut off the end, then grate. Place the grated cucumber in a colander and sprinkle with salt, mixing so all the cucumber pieces are coated. Place the colander over a bowl so the salt can draw the moisture out of the cucumber. Allow the cucumber to drain for 15-30 minutes, then squeeze all of the moisture out using your hands. Combine the other ingredients in a medium mixing bowl before stirring in the drained, squeezed cucumber. Taste and add more salt, pepper, vinegar, garlic or herbs if you like. Chill for an hour in the fridge, or if you can’t wait - tuck in.

Kali sas oreks!