Tzatziki Sauce

Peel the cucumber if the skin is thick or waxy, halve it lengthways and scrape out the seeds with a teaspoon. Grate it coarsely into a sieve set over a bowl, toss with ½ teaspoon fine salt and leave for 15 to 20 minutes.

Tip the cucumber into a clean tea towel or a piece of muslin and wring it out hard until nothing more drips. You should be left with about 120 g. Water from the cucumber is the main reason tzatziki turns thin, so be thorough.

Crush the garlic to a paste with a pinch of salt, using the flat of a knife or a pestle and mortar. Stir it into the juice of half the lemon and 1 tablespoon of the olive oil. Chop the dill finely.

Spoon the yoghurt into a bowl and stir in the garlic mixture, then fold in the cucumber and dill. Season with black pepper. Raw garlic strengthens as it sits, so it is better to start with two cloves and add more after tasting it later.

Cover and chill for at least 30 minutes, or up to 2 hours, so the garlic mellows and the flavours join. Stir, taste for salt and lemon, and spoon into a shallow bowl. Drizzle with the remaining tablespoon of olive oil to serve. It keeps for 4 days in the fridge, and any liquid that separates can be stirred back in.