Cucumber salad with cream. This refreshing simple salad is a staple of French bistrot and residential cooking.
Referred to as concombre à la crème in French, very refreshing served chilled, this dish solely wants just a few components. The miracle of this dish is as a result of steadiness of components: clean crème fraîche and crunchy cucumber; contemporary herb and light-weight seasoning.
Right here is the recipe my mother-in-law at all times ready for my husband, it’s considered one of his favourite starters.
Methods to serve this cucumber with cream sauce
I’m undecided creamy cucumber salad has its origins in France however it’s for positive a staple of French dwelling cooking ready in any household, in each day life, or for extra formal events.
- It’s an ideal starter to serve
- as a part of assiète de crudité (blended uncooked vegetable platter), as a starter (appetizer referred to as entrée in France),
- but additionally as a aspect for a dish reminiscent of a quiche or a savory loaf or grilled meat or fish at a barbecue get together on a scorching day.
- Mild and crunchy this chilled salad can also be excellent for a picnic or pot lucks.
- You may also use it as an ingredient for a dish inserted for instance in a sandwich.
Methods to make cucumber salad like in France
There are two methods to arrange cucumber: as on this recipe with cream-based sauce (and no further seasoning for me, some recipes add a little bit of oil, lemon juice, and vinegar) or just with French dressing dressing. If that’s the case I’d counsel apple cider vinegar and a superb olive oil.
However first, the key of this recipe is to salt minimize up cucumber beforehand.
Why salting cucumber?
To stop cucumbers from getting watery within the salad. Cucumbers are naturally composed of quite a lot of water.
Including salt and leaving for half an hour to 1 hour helps to attract out water, removes among the vegetable vegetation water from the flesh.
This helps to stop the water from popping out within the dish and soaking the sauce and to make them good and crunchier. A crisp texture.
Some say it makes it extra digestible, however I’m undecided.
Fortunately this further step could be very fast and simple and requires no particular cooking abilities.
Don’t fear, salting cucumber received’t make your salad salty if you happen to don’t go away it in salt for too lengthy and if you happen to rinse effectively. It can make your salad properly seasoned.
Data on the instructions
You may use cucumber unpeeled (utterly unpeeled or peeled only a few stripes) however I’d suggest this provided that it’s natural or from an area producer and belief. In any other case, it’s higher to peel the cucumber.
To salt and drain the cucumber, slice the cucumber thinly, and place it in a colander or bowl, or instantly in a strainer, with coarse salt, ideally sea salt.
The quantity is about 1 tablespoon per giant cucumber.
Some use high-quality salt however I’ve at all times been informed by the elder round me that it’s higher with coarse sea salt. I don’t know which is the very best so I simply observe the household recipe.
Gently toss to coat all slices of cucumber with salt then go away for half-hour to 1 hour.
After one hour, rinse totally below chilly water and dry your cucumber slices effectively in a clear material. You may additionally use paper towels.
If you happen to don’t wish to use salt, simply place the minimize cucumber on a paper towel, cowl and faucet effectively to take away among the vegetation water.
Which ingredient to make use of as an alternative of crème fraîche?
In France we use crème fraîche (not liquid crème fleurette), or fromage blanc. Generally yaourt / yogurt.
I’m utilizing heavy cream with 30% fats, however you need to use low-fat cream. Or substitute with sour cream, cottage cheese, or plain Greek yogurt.
Both the complete quantity of one of many above-mentioned components or make half cream – half yogurt.
As you would like however don’t neglect we’re searching for the creaminess of the dressing. Heavy cream makes the salad dressing creamy and clean.
Word that even when ready this fashion cucumber will launch much less vegetation water, when you stir in crème fraîche, and after the salad sits for some time earlier than being served, the cream tends to liquefy and loses its creaminess.
To keep away from this if you happen to put together this dish prematurely, you possibly can add cream earlier than serving.
Add contemporary herb and onion or shallot
Recent herbs
Dill or chives. Right here once more, as a household recipe, we use dill. It’s extra widespread in France to see this recipe with chives.
You may select the fragrant herb you want essentially the most or that you’ve at your disposal: chopped chives, mint, contemporary thyme, basil, chervil, cilantro…
Onion or shallot
Spring onion could also be changed with shallot. Keep away from onion with too sturdy style.
Further seasoning
To strengthen the seasoning, you could add 1 teaspoon of mustard, a splash of lemon juice, or apple cider vinegar (or balsamic vinegar cream).
I generally like a drizzle of excellent olive oil which provides a little bit of roundness to the sauce. It’s as much as you.
Have enjoyable with variations to your personal style.
French Creamy Cucumber Salad
This refreshing simple tasty salad is a staple of French bistrot and residential cooking. The key to stopping cucumber from watering the sauce is to salt them beforehand. I provide the explanations and substitutes for cream, herbs…
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Put together the cucumber salad
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