The Do's And Don'ts Of Cooking With Greek Yogurt
Happy Greek Yogurt Week at Food Republic! We're honoring the Mediterranean miracle food by posting recipes, interviews and insider information on one of the fastest-growing food sectors in the world. Got a yogurt question we haven't answered? Tweet us — all yogurt-based inquiries will get priority attention. Use the hashtag: #FRGreekYogurt
While we love it straight from under the parchment, cooking with Greek yogurt is another way to incorporate it into your diet. To avoid congealey failure and maximize delicious success, follow these tips.
Don'ts:
- Don't expect it to act just like regular yogurt – chiefly, don't bake with it unless it's thinned out and don't heat it quickly or the concentrated milk proteins will separate from the remainder of the whey, never to unite again. Temper it before adding it to a warm dish, and only then, right at the end.
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Don't try to make it before you've mastered regular yogurt, straining three times requires more effort and planning than you might think. Cool tip: big coffee filters.
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Don't push it. Greek yogurt is a great substitute for regular yogurt or even mayonnaise in certain applications. That said, your BLTs and lobster rolls will never forgive you if you try to force that transition.
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Don't accidentally use vanilla before it's too late. I'm just repeating it cause it's happened to me more than once. Grossness on the raita front.
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Don't use aluminum cook or bakeware when dealing with Greek yogurt, the acidity reacts unpleasantly to the metal.
Do's:
- Do substitute Greek yogurt for buttermilk or heavy cream, two things you might not readily have in your fridge (who has buttermilk in their fridge?) Just water it down slightly to match the consistency.
- Do put it in your ice cream maker, it freezes faster and creamier than regular yogurt. Plus the healthy bacteria will even survive a freezing!
- Do be aware of the temperature. The longer your Greek yogurt is out of the fridge the thinner it will appear. A stint in the fridge will thicken it back up again, so give it a chill before you deem it ruined.
- Do marinate! This is once instance where Greek yogurt's clinginess is a good thing. You can use less Greek yogurt in a traditional marinade like tandoori but still get the same tenderizing and moisture and flavor-enhancing effect.
Practice cooking with Greek yogurt: