Chef John'S Tzatziki Sauce - cooking recipe

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

Preparation

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.