Serves: 4
Total Calories: 135

2 cups plain yogurt, whole-milk (see Note)
1 cucumber, European (seedless) or 1 large regular cucumber
1 teaspoon salt, or more to taste
1 to 2 clove garlic, minced
3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh mint or dill or 1 tablespoon dried
2 tablespoons olive oil, extra-virgin
black pepper, freshly ground, to taste

1. If draining the yogurt, set a yogurt strainer, or regular strainer lined with a double layer of dampened cheesecloth, over a medium-size bowl. Add the 2 cups yogurt and drain, in the refrigerator, for 4 hours. You should wind up with about 1 1/4 cups.

2. Peel the cucumber and seed it, if necessary, then coarsely grate or finely chop it. Place the grated cucumber in a colander and toss with 1/2 teaspoon salt. Let stand, over a bowl or in the sink, for 20 minutes to drain off some of the excess water from the cucumber. Blot the cucumber dry with paper towels.

3. Transfer the drained yogurt to a serving bowl. Stir in the cucumber, garlic, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 2 tablespoons of the mint, 1 tablespoon of the oil, and pepper. Taste for seasoning, adding salt or pepper as necessary.

4. To serve, make a slight hollow in the center of the cacik with the back of a spoon, pouring the remaining oil into the depression (for a less formal presentation, simply drizzle the remaining oil on top). Decorate the top of the cacik with the remaining 1 tablespoon mint. (One traditional presentation is to sprinkle the mint in two intersecting lines to make a cross. If you decide to serve the cacik this way, don’t make a hollow in the yogurt simply drizzle the top with oil.) Serve immediately.

Makes about 2 cups serves 4 to 6 as an appetizer

Note: You’ll need only 1 1/4 cups yogurt if you don’t plan to drain it.

Nutritional Facts:

Serves: 4
Total Calories: 135
Calories from Fat: 60

More Recipes from the The Barbecue Bible Cookbook:
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Bacon Grilled Prunes
Dutch West Indian Chicken Kebabs / Boka Dushi
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Fire-Charred Tomato Soup
Flame-Roasted Tomatoes
Goat Cheese Grilled in Grape Leaves
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Grilled Chicken Wings With Hong Kong Spices / Shek O Wings
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Grilled Eggplant Dip / Choka Dip
Grilled Eggs With Vietnamese Seasonings
Grilled Provolone / Provolone Asado
Grilled Quesadillas
Grilled Shrimp Dim Sum
Grilled Snails / Escargots Grilles
Hong Kong Honey-Glazed Wings
Indonesian Beef and Coconut Sates / Sate' Lalat
Middle Eastern Eggplant Puree With Tahini / Baba Ganooj
Pancetta Grilled Figs
Pastrami Grilled in Grape Leaves
Persian Eggplant Dip With Walnuts
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Siagon Garlic-Lemongrass Wings
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Spicy Chile Wings
Star Anise Wings
Vietnamese Beef Jerky / Thit Bo Kho
Vietnamese Grilled Beef and Basil Rolls
Yogurt-Cucumber Salad With Mint / Cacik