Skordalia

Skordalia is a thick purée in Greek cuisine, made of garlic in a base of potatoes, walnuts, almonds or liquid-soaked stale bread mixed with olive oil in to make a smooth emulsion, to which some vinegar is added. It is usually made in a mortar and pestle. Skordalia is served as a garnish or side dish. It is mainly served with batter-fried cod, especially during Lent and on the Greek national holiday of March 25th. In the Anglosphere, it is promoted as a dip.

Overview

Skordalia is the modern equivalent of ancient skorothalmi. The name, on the other hand, may be a pleonastic compound of Greek σκόρδο 'garlic' and Italian agliata 'garlicky'.
Skordalia is usually served with batter-fried fish, fried vegetables, poached fish, or boiled vegetables. It is sometimes used as a dip.
Variants of skordalia may include eggs as the emulsifier, omitting or reducing the bulk ingredient, which makes for a result similar to the Provençal aïoli and Catalan allioli. In the Ionian Islands, cod stock and lemon are usually added instead of vinegar, and then skordalia is eaten as a main dish.