Cucumbers tend to be thought of as nothing much to shout about over here. Sure, they’re refreshing and crisp enough to be sliced or diced in a salad, but that’s about it for those long, thin batons with dark skin and pale, often watery flesh. Varieties from southern Europe, the Middle East and Asia, however, tend to be smaller, crisper, much tastier and well worth putting centre stage.
For a sweet-flavoured cucumber, Lebanese are your best bet; they’re sold in many greengrocers and any Middle Eastern shop worth the name. They’re lovely to eat whole as a snack, just as they are; or alongside most main courses – in a simple chopped salad, say, or grated and mixed with yoghurt, crushed garlic, fresh mint and a squeeze of lemon. At about 10cm long, with far smaller seeds than their large, water-filled north European cousins, Lebanese cukes pack a lot more flavour, so you have to do less with them to make them shine.
If you can’t get hold of these, regular north European cucumbers can still play a more central role (there’s a reason they’re a big deal in Scandinavia, especially). Scoop out the watery, seed-filled core (you could always save the seeds and add them to the next juice you whizz up), leaving just the firm, pale flesh. Then dice, slice, grate, shave or blitz into all manner of dishes.
Seared tuna with cucumber and avocado salsa
Modern cucumbers have had their natural bitterness bred out of them, so benefit from generous seasoning. Serves four, as a first course.
Grated zest of 2 lemons
1½ tbsp coriander seeds, crushed
1½ tbsp cumin seeds, crushed
2 tbsp black sesame seeds (or white, if that’s all you can get, or a mixture)
30g panko breadcrumbs
½ tsp dried chilli flakes
Salt
500g yellowfin, line-caught tuna loin, cut into 5cm x 5cm x 10cm ‘logs’
About 60ml olive oil
For the salsa
10 spring onions, trimmed
2-3 Lebanese cucumbers (or 1 regular cucumber), quartered lengthways, core removed and cut into 5mm dice
1 small avocado, peeled, stoned and cut into 5mm dice
2 lemons, peeled, white pith and pips removed, flesh roughly chopped
¾ tsp sesame oil
1 green chilli, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
2 tsp black sesame seeds (or white, or a mixture)
A few small coriander leaves, to serve
In a large, shallow bowl, mix the lemon zest, crushed coriander and cumin seeds, black sesame, breadcrumbs, chilli flakes and half a teaspoon of salt. Brush the tuna liberally with about two tablespoons of oil, then coat in the seed mix. Use your hands to press it firmly on to the fish, so the crust sticks.
Put a large saute pan on a high heat with a tablespoon of oil. When hot, add the tuna and sear for two minutes, turning a few times so it gets seared on all sides. Remove from the pan and set aside to cool.
Wipe clean the pan and add a teaspoon of oil. When hot, add the spring onions and cook for two to three minutes, stirring once or twice, so they char all over. Remove from the pan, set aside to cool, then chop into 1cm dice. Place in a bowl with the cucumber, avocado, lemon flesh, sesame oil, green chilli, garlic, sesame seeds and a teaspoon of salt.
To serve, cut each tuna log widthways into 1cm-thick slices and arrange, slightly overlapping, on plates or a platter. Spoon a line of salsa on top, making sure some tuna remains visible, and sprinkle with coriander leaves. Serve with any leftover salsa in a bowl on the side.
Quick pickled cucumber
This recipe features in Nopi: The Cookbook, which comes out in September. In that, it’s served with deep-fried soft-shell crab, but it goes with just about anything, from fried tofu to grilled oily fish or spicy lamb cutlets. Serves four.
125ml rice vinegar
1½ tbsp mirin
1½ tbsp sake
40g caster sugar
3 whole star anise
2 small cinnamon sticks
Salt
4 Lebanese cucumbers (or 1 extra-large regular cucumber), peeled
1 long red chilli, deseeded and thinly sliced
10g coriander, leaves and stems, roughly chopped
Put the vinegar, mirin, sake, sugar, star anise and cinnamon in a small saucepan, add 50ml water and a teaspoon of salt, and bring to a boil. Turn down the heat and simmer for seven or eight minutes, until the liquid has reduced by a third and you have about 150ml left in the pan. Remove from the heat and set aside for 20 minutes, until lukewarm.
Meanwhile, shave long ribbons off the cucumber with a vegetable peeler. Move around the fruit as you go and stop when you get to the seeds (discard these, or save for a juice). Put the ribbons in a medium bowl, pour over the pickling liquid, stir and set aside to cool.
To serve, drain the cucumber (save the pickling liquid for another day), discard the cinnamon and star anise, stir in the chilli and coriander, and take to the table.
Chilled cucumber, cauliflower and ginger soup
If you prefer, you can use new potatoes in this instead of the cauliflower: if you do, boil them in salty water with a few sprigs of fresh mint, then peel and cut into 1cm dice. Serves four.
4 sprigs fresh mint
12cm piece ginger, peeled – 40g roughly grated, the rest cut into 3mm-wide julienne slices
Salt and white pepper
½ small cauliflower, broken up into 2cm florets
3 medium cucumbers (or 7 Lebanese cucumbers), peeled, deseeded and roughly chopped
3 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
500g Greek yoghurt
2 tbsp lemon juice
60ml olive oil
70g flaked almonds
2 tsp dried mint
Pour 800ml cold water into a medium saucepan and add the fresh mint, the sliced ginger and two teaspoons of salt. Bring to a boil, add the cauliflower and blanch for two to three minutes, until just cooked but still retaining a bite. Drain and set aside; discard the mint and ginger.
Put the cucumber in a blender or food processor with the grated ginger, garlic, yoghurt, lemon juice, a teaspoon of salt and half a teaspoon of white pepper. Blitz smooth, then chill for at least an hour.
Heat the oil in a small saucepan on medium heat and add the almonds. Cook for three to four minutes, stirring often, until the nuts are a light golden-brown. Transfer to a bowl, stir in the dried mint, add a pinch of salt and set aside to cool.
Divide the cauliflower between four bowls and pour the cold soup on top. Spoon the almond mix on top and serve.
Tomato and cucumber raita
A really versatile dish: lovely as a dip, with some warm pitta, or spooned on top of spiced rice or plain grilled chicken. Serves six.
3 Lebanese cucumbers (or 1 large regular cucumber), quartered lengthways, seeds removed and cut into 1cm dice
¼ medium onion, peeled and cut into 5mm dice
Salt
250g Greek yoghurt
100g creme fraiche
10g mint leaves, finely shredded
1 tbsp lemon juice
1½ tsp cumin seeds, toasted and finely crushed
200g cherry tomatoes, cut into 1cm dice
For the green chilli paste
2 small preserved lemons, skin and flesh chopped
2 green chillies, deseeded and chopped
2 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
2½ tbsp olive oil
Mix the cucumber, onion and half a teaspoon of salt, put in a colander and leave to drain for 15 minutes. While the cucumber is steeping, put all the chilli paste ingredients in a mortar with a quarter-teaspoon of salt, and pound with a pestle until smooth.
Put the yoghurt and creme fraiche in a large bowl and whisk with the mint, lemon juice and cumin. Add the cucumber and onion mix, and the tomatoes, and stir gently. Spread over the base of a large, shallow bowl and spoon chilli paste on top. Swirl lightly on the surface and serve.
