Chef John’s Tzatziki Sauce

Ingredients

• 1 large English cucumber, peeled and grated
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups Greek yogurt
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 pinch cayenne pepper, or to taste
• 1/2 lemon, juiced
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh mint
• Salt and ground black pepper to taste
• 1 sprig fresh dill for garnish
• 1 pinch cayenne pepper for garnish

Directions

Sprinkle grated cucumber with 1/2 teaspoon salt in a bowl and let stand 10 to 15 minutes to draw out juice.

Place yogurt into a separate bowl. Dump cucumber and its juice onto a sturdy, dry paper or cloth towel and squeeze as much moisture as possible from the cucumber. Mix cucumber into yogurt. Add garlic, cayenne pepper, and lemon juice; mix thoroughly.

Stir dill and mint into yogurt-cucumber mixture; season with salt and black pepper. Adjust all seasonings to taste.

Cover bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 3 or 4 hours (or overnight). Transfer to a serving bowl and garnish with a sprig of dill and a sprinkle of cayenne pepper for color.