preparation
First, peel the garlic. How much you use really depends on personal taste. Ten cloves will make a very strong garlic sauce. For a milder version, five or six are perfectly sufficient.
Press the peeled garlic through a garlic press. If you don’t have a press, you can finely chop the cloves with a sharp knife. The finer the garlic is chopped, the more evenly its aroma will be distributed in the sauce later.
Rinse the chives under cold water and then pat dry thoroughly. Next, finely chop them.
Place the sour cream and natural yogurt in a sufficiently large bowl. Mix thoroughly with a spoon or small whisk until a smooth, creamy mixture is formed.
Now add the garlic and chives and stir thoroughly. The sauce will already begin to take on its typical appearance with the many small pieces of green herbs.
Season with a good pinch of salt and some freshly ground pepper. If you prefer a slightly fresher note, add about a teaspoon of lemon juice. I wouldn’t use much more than that initially, so the acid doesn’t overpower the garlic flavor.
And with that, the real work is actually already done.
You could serve the garlic sauce immediately. However, it tastes even better if you refrigerate it, covered, for about two to three hours. During this time, the garlic infuses the sauce and its aroma permeates the entire sauce.
Before serving, stir the sauce thoroughly again and taste it. Only now would I season it to taste with salt and pepper. After resting, the garlic flavor is usually much more intense than immediately after preparation.
If the sauce has thickened slightly after a few hours, simply stir in a small spoonful of natural yogurt. If it’s too thin, add a little extra sour cream.
Why this simple garlic sauce works so well
Sour cream alone would be a bit too heavy for my taste, and yogurt alone a bit too thin and acidic. Together, they create just the right consistency: creamy enough for dipping, but still soft enough to easily pour over potatoes, meat, or vegetables.
The chives add a touch of freshness without being overpowering. That’s precisely why I wouldn’t replace them with a large quantity of different herbs. Parsley or dill are certainly worth trying, but the simple combination of garlic and chives has its own unique appeal.
There’s no hard and fast rule when it comes to the amount of garlic. Ten cloves is a really generous amount. If you have an appointment the next day, you might want to start a little more cautiously. For a large bowl at a barbecue, however, you can certainly use a stronger amount.
The sauce is also delicious with roasted garlic. To make it, gently cook or roast a few garlic cloves until soft, then crush them. This reduces the garlic’s sharpness and gives it a milder, slightly sweet flavor. While this isn’t the quick three-minute version, it tastes just as excellent.
For me, this sauce is one of the simplest combinations with boiled or baked potatoes. Just crack open a hot potato, sprinkle it with a little salt, and add a large spoonful of cold garlic sauce – sometimes that’s all you need.
It goes perfectly with meat, sausages, and grilled vegetables when grilling. It also works wonderfully with potato wedges, fries, or crusty bread. Even on a simple sandwich, a small spoonful can replace mayonnaise or other ready-made sauces.
If you’re expecting guests, you can easily prepare the sauce a few hours in advance. This is actually advantageous, as it gives it time to develop its flavors. I simply put it covered in the refrigerator and take it out shortly before serving.
The finished garlic sauce should be stored in a tightly sealed container in the refrigerator. Because of the fresh dairy products, I wouldn’t let it sit unnecessarily long, but rather consume it within a few days if possible. Normally, that’s not a problem anyway – it usually disappears much faster than that at our house.
Ultimately, this is exactly the kind of recipe I love: few ingredients, no complicated preparation, and yet something you’ll want to make again and again. Three minutes of work is all it takes for a large bowl of creamy garlic sauce, and if you give it a little time in the fridge afterward, it gets even better.
Whether with potatoes, grilled meat, vegetables, bread or simply as a dip – once this sauce is on the table, everyone suddenly finds something else to eat another spoonful of it with.
