Cukes not Nukes

In the next few weeks, if not already, we will see the beginning of the cucumber season that will last us through the summer. Being common to almost all Americans, the cucumber probably does not receive the recognition it deserves and falls easily to the background. Here, I look at different uses for the vegetable aside from placing rounds over the eyes to reduce heavy bags or the cold cucumber salad.

Cucumbers, or cukes as my grandmother called them, are part of the gourd family which is funny to me because they are softer skinned with such a soft flesh. For me, the cukes’ high water content and subtle melon flavor are the contributions that make them so refreshing. Aside from pickling and eating raw in salads or plain with some salt at the taco shop, I like to juice cucumbers. The water is then used in many applications such as cocktails and lemonade, emulsions for a fancy summer dish, a braising liquid for fish or used to make sorbet.

To juice a cucumber, simply peel off the skin, cut it into rounds and puree using an immersion blender or counter blender. The pulp and liquid once sieved will produce approximately ½ cup of juice for each common cucumber. An English cucumber, which is longer with less seeds, will give slightly more.

My two favorite cocktail recipes using cucumber are both gin based but vodka could easily be substituted. The first: I infuse a bottle of gin with cucumber flavor by soaking peeled, chopped cukes in the gin for three days then strain. Pour the gin over ice with the juice of half a lime and some simple syrup. I shake the heck out of it then top it off with club soda. I assure even someone who doesn’t like gin will fall in love. The second gives a stronger punch: I make a traditional gin martini using dry vermouth and Hendrick’s gin, which already has notes of cucumber, and muddle two cucumber rounds in the shaker with a very small sprig of thyme. After shaken and strained into a chilled martini glass, I garnish with a floating sprig of thyme and a cucumber round cut to fit on the side of the glass.

It may seem counter intuitive, and a little pretentious, to use cucumber water in a hot dish but used as an emulsion or cooking liquid, the cucumber water adds its flare to a nice fish dinner (recipe included) and wows your guests. I found another hot dish that uses the flesh of the cucumber written by James Beard in his book Beard on Food. He suggests peeling then cutting the cucumber into matchsticks (julienne cut), squeezing the water out of them with a kitchen towel and steaming them in butter with tarragon and lemon juice. I have tried this process a couple times which is very mild in flavor and best served as a starter garnished with sorbet.

The sorbet I make with the cucumber water is a throw back to Bath and Body Works’ line of cucumber and melon scented products. First make a simple syrup using ½ cup sugar, ½ cup light corn syrup and ¾ cup water. Once chilled; mix the simple syrup with 1½ cups cucumber water and ½ cup midori then apply to the ice cream maker per the manufacturer’s instructions. Once hardened, the sorbet is great on its own or as a garnish for a gazpacho. I have also seen it served with peppered, seared ahi called “Fire and Ice”.

We have looked at cucumber water used in drinks, as dessert and a savory main dish. I hope these examples have opened your mind to a new realm of cuke use and you will use the many days of spring and summer ahead to experiment. I know that I will keep myself refreshed with a cucumber cocktail and busy in the kitchen looking for other ways to utilize the many varieties I will find at the farmers’ market.

Pan Braised Hallibut with cucumber water emulsion:

In a small sauce pan sauté 2 tablespoons shallot until translucent.

Add in 2 teaspoons white pepper, 1 cup cucumber water, 1 cup chicken stock,. Bring to a simmer and reduce the volume by half. Remove from heat and swirl in 8 tablespoons of cubed butter.

Once the butter has melted, transfer the liquid to a blender, add in ¼ cup chicken stalk and blend to emulsify, about 30 seconds. Season to taste with salt and toss in 2 tablespoons chopped tarragon, mix with a spoon and set aside.

Start with 4 halibut steaks about 1 ½ inches thick. Pat dry and sprinkle with salt and pepper. In a heavy, oven-proof skillet, heat one tablespoon of vegetable oil until just before it smokes. Add the fish and allow to brown over the high heat for about 2-3 minutes. Turn the fish over and add in enough of the cucumber emulsion to cover the bottom third of the fish. Transfer the pan to the middle rack of a 400° oven and continue to cook for an additional 5 minutes. The fish is done when the flesh is opaque all the way through.

Serve the fish over risotto, or lentils in a shallow bowl with some of the cucumber emulsion, fresh chopped tomato and grilled asparagus. Garnish the top of the fish with a tarragon sprig and enjoy.