Cooking Greek dip-type recipe??

[MazdaUK]

At our favourite greek restarant they serve a sort of cheesy mayo-type dip with the fries I've tried to recreate it without success, and haven't found a recipe online. Can anyone help? Also they serve this lovely flatbread which is not like pitta, like a cross between pitta and a thick wrap.

Any Greek ancestors who can help?

TIA

 

[mel63]

It is a pita. It is a pita flat, pita folds or pocketless pitas, not a pita pocket. I get them from a restaurant supply store. They are frozen. I don't know what stores you have around, but maybe try a store in a greek neighborhood or a larger store.

Greek Pita Bread

SERVES 6

Ingredients
1 envelope dry yeast
2 teaspoons salt
1 tablespoon sugar
4 cups white all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups water
1 tablespoon olive oil

Directions

Combine the yeast and sugar in a small bowl, add 1/2 cup of the warm water and let it stand for 10 minutes to proof and ferment it.

Dissolve the salt in the remaining warm water.

Put the flour in a large mixing bowl, making a well in the middle and put the dissolved yeast and salt water into it.

With your hands, blend it into a dough.

You may need a bit more or less water depending on your flour.

Knead the dough in the bowl with your fists for 10-15 minutes or until it is smooth.

Pour the oil over the dough and knead it again until the oil is absorbed.

Cover the dough in the bowl with a towel and set it in a draft free area to rise to double it's bulk (1-2 hours), then punch it down and knead it again for a few minutes.

Preheat your oven to 350°F.

Cut pieces of dough, egg size or larger, depending on the size of the pita desired, shape them into balls with your hands and roll them out over a lightly floured board or pastry cloth to 1/4 inch thickness.

Set 2 or 3 pites on a lightly oiled cookies sheet and bake them on the lower rack 2 to 3 minutes each side.

Pitas should be white and soft.

Wrap the baked pitas in a clean towel until they are cool, then store them in plastic bags to prevent them from drying out.

When you are ready to use them, heat a bit of oil in a shallow skillet and fry them a minute or so on each side, or until golden brown.

Use them immediately, because they get hard when they dry out.


I haven't tried this recipe, I got it from RecipeZaar, you can also get the metric amounts there too.
http://www.recipezaar.com/Greek-Pita-Bread-60108

But if you have a recipe that you like, maybe try baking it at a lower temperature. It seems the high heat is what makes them puff up.

As for the dip, I am not sure. Could you be more specific in your description?

How about mayo, feta, powdered garlic, lemon juice, salt, pepper and maybe other spices??

 

[MazdaUK]

I checked on their website to see if it had a description and they don't seem to do it any moreit was like a cheesy mayo, but the cheese wasn't visible (not grated, IYSWIM) I tried to make it using feta, mayo, garlic salt (but only a little as it wasn't really garlicky) and tyme, but it wan't quite right.

I can see I'll have to go to the restaurant again

 

[mel63]

Did you make it in a food processor? Maybe start with the mayo, add a little feta, try to get the base set. Then add the garlic and a squirt of lemon juice. Then start with the seasonings. Salt, pepper maybe oregano and parsley. Maybe mint was used??? Start with small amounts first. You can always "add to it" but can never "take away" from it. Plus make it, and let it sit for a day for the flavors to blend.

Just guessing....
start with
1/2 cup of mayo
2 oz feta, crumbled
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1tablespoon lemon juice
salt & pepper to taste
spices to taste

Some spices to try might be
oregano
mint
thyme
basil
parsley
marjoram
onion
garlic
maybe chive

 

[MazdaUK]

There was definitely no mint - I'm not sure there were any herbs at all, as it was not flecked with any colour, just pale and creamy Not garlicky, maybe it was just mayo, cheese and salt/pepper Food processor is a good idea - I can see I'll end up with lts of little bowls each with differnt stuff inI've e-mailed the restaurant as they don't make it any more, to see if they'll give me the recipe.

Thansk for your help

 

[motherwild]

could it have been a yogurt sauce Tzatziki
http://kalynskitchen.blogspot.com/2007/07/worlds-best-tzatziki-sauce-recipe-greek.html
This could be what ou are looking for

 

[mel63]

They might not have made it. It might have been a dressing from a foodservice supply company.

Our creamy feta dressing is a blend of mayonnaise mixed with Feta cheese and spices to provide the perfect Mediterranean dressing. Use our Feta dressing for salads, potato topping and the perfect veggie dipping sauce.

INGREDIENTS
Mayonnaise [mayo ingredients listed here], Feta Cheese [Feta ingredients listed here], Water, Granulated Garlic, Lemon Juice Concentrate, Spices, Salt.
CONTAINS: DAIRY and EGG

and a picture

So if it was a foodservice supply product, it should not be too hard to duplicate or come close to with this ingredient list. Maybe ask them for the brand name, and search online for the company. Maybe they can tell you where to purchase it.
If they did make it onsite, they should have a recipe that they should share.

Here is a recipe that I found looking under foodservice pages...

Feta Cheese Dressing
4 oz Feta
1 Cup Mayo
1 Tablespoon red wine vinegar
1 Tablespoon lemon juice
2/3 cup sour cream
1/4 teaspoon garlic salt
1/4 teaspoon celery seed

Blend all in food processor. Cover & refrigerate until serving.

 

[MazdaUK]

That looks familiar - maybe that was it! (It definitely wasn't tzatziki as I don't like that). I'll give it a go

 

[mel63]

Let us know what your final recipe is, and if you were able to duplicate it. I would like to try it. Thanks.

 

[MazdaUK]

I might give it a go tomorrow, I've got nearly that much feta left from tabbouleh, and I cn use creme fraiche instead of sour cream

ETA its chilling nicely in the fridge : I used a little more cheese - about 120g - and a little less mayo - 200ml and subbed 1/2 fat creme fraiche for the sour cream (to save a few calories!). I couldn't be bothered to get out the food procesor, so I grated the cheese into my Tupperware quick mix (or whatever its called) - so its not entirely smooth, but good enough! I also added a little black pepper. I've tasted it and it seems mainly mayo-y (maybe the restaurant used a different greek cheese?), but I'm leaving it to set a bit so the flavours cn blend - I've been caught out overseasoning houmous, ading mroe chilli flakes and then getting my head taken off

 

[Imzadi]

Using the food processor may give you more of a cheesy flavor as the cheese would be broken down & incorporated thoughout better. Also, try taking out a lot more fo the mayo and adding in more cheese.

 

[MazdaUK]

It matured up nicely - DS(15) had some with some left over new potatoes to keep him going after swimming. I think it would work well with the addition of some chives or spring onions too