Dish of Cucumber Salad with Cream
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Cucumber Salad with Cream


France   -   Concombres à la Crème
Serves:
Effort:
Sched:
DoAhead:  		 5 salad
**
1 hr
Yes		 This variation of the standard cucumber salad, replacing oil with cream, is very popular in france. See also Cucumber Cream Salad for a different version.

2
9
3
1
1
7-1/2
2
1/3
#
oz
t
cl
T
oz
t
t
Cucumbers (1)
Onion, white
Salt
Garlic
Dill, fresh (2)
Crème Fraîche (3)
Vinegar, white wine
Pepper

Salting and wringing out the Cucumbers is to prevent the salad from becoming watery.

Make   -   (1 hr - 20 min work)
  1. Slice CUCUMBERS very thin, preferably on a mandolin or some similar cutter.
  2. Quarter ONIONS lengthwise and slice very thin crosswise.
  3. Tumble Cucumbers and Onions with salt and let stand in a non-reactive bowl for at least 45 minutes, tumbling a couple of times. Rinse well, and squeeze out excess water (the cucumbers should be quite limp at this stage). Place in a mixing bowl.
  4. Crush Garlic and chop fine. Chop Dill fine. Mix into the Cucumbers.
  5. Mix in Cream, then Vinegar and season with Pepper. The Cucumbers should still be a little salty, so salt probably won't be needed.
  6. Refrigerate at least 1 hour before serving.
NOTES:

  1. Cucumbers

      If at all possible, use small Persian cucumbers, or similar cukes that don't have to be peeled or seeded. If you have only the standard waxed green blimps, you'll have to peel and seed them, cutting them lengthwise in half or quarters depending on size. Weight would be after peeling and seeding.

  2. Dill:

      Fresh is best, but the pattern recipe allows 1/2 t dried dill weed.

  3. Crème Fraîche:

      This is a very high fat slightly soured cream. I buy Bellwether Farms brand from Trader Joe's. The pattern recipe calls for 1 cup, but the tubs I buy are 7-1/2 oz, so that's what I call for. If you can't get it use 1 c highest fat sour cream you can find (Alta-Dena around here) and cut it with 2 T Heavy Cream. That'll still be significantly more sour than with Crème Fraîche
  4. U.S. measure: t=teaspoon, T=Tablespoon, c=cup, qt=quart, oz=ounce, #=pound, cl=clove in=inch, ar=as required tt=to taste
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