Friday, April 09, 2010

Ottolenghi's cucumber and poppy seed salad

Ottolenghi's cucumber salad with poppyseeds / Kurgisalat mooniseemnete ja tšilliga

Although the best tasting cucumbers will be available in July/August, then the cucumbers on sale at the moment aren't really so bad. So when I was looking for dishes to serve at our Easter Brunch table, this vivid green salad in Ottolenghi's book immediately caught my eye. The Ottoleghi guys recommend you make this with small cucumbers (sometimes called 'Lebanese cucumbers' in British recipes), but those won't be available until mid-summer. Until then, nice thin long ones will work as well.

I loved the colour, the piquancy of the dressing and the crunchiness of the poppy seeds. Again - suitable for gluten-free and lactose-free and vegan and vegetarian diets.

Cucumber and poppy seed salad
(Krõmpsuv kurgisalat krõmpsuvate mooniseemnetega)
Recipe from Ottolenghi: The Cookbook (slightly adapted)
Serves 6 to 8 as part of a buffet

500 g fresh cucumber (about 2-3 long green cucumbers, choose slim ones with small seeds)
1 mild red chilli pepper, deseeded and thinly sliced
3 Tbsp chopped fresh coriander/cilantro leaves
4 Tbsp white wine vinegar or rice vinegar (I used Prosecco vinegar)
5 Tbsp rapeseed or sunflower oil
2 Tbsp poppy seeds
2 Tbsp caster sugar
sea salt
freshly ground black pepper

Wash the cucumbers, cut off the ends and discard. Halve the cucumbers lengthwise, then cut into 1 cm slices at a slight angle. Place into a large bowl.
Add coriander leaves, vinegar, oil, poppy seeds and sugar, then season with salt and pepper. Use your hands to massage the flavours into the cucumbers. Taste for seasoning - you're aiming for a sweet and sharp taste sensation.
Serve immediately.

7 comments:

Kalyn Denny said...

I love the sound of this recipe. How did I miss it in the cookbook?

Kat said...

kõlab väga mõnusalt :)

James Mackenzie said...

Ah, the first thing you've made that I've also done! We did it with unexpectedly fierce chillis, which somewhat changed the tone..

Claudia said...

I've recently gotten two cookbooks with Georgian recipes and have tried a few. This sounds wonderful, something I'd like to try with our little wild mushrooms.

thepassionatecook said...

yum yum, definitely making this for my next barbeque... sounds amazing!

Elana said...

Everything you make is so beautiful and fresh. I just bought a bunch of kitchen supplies as a first time chef, and I have been trying out your recipes. Cheers!

Pille said...

Kalyn - cannot imagine :) The salad is so bright and colourful that it's hard to overlook :)

Kat - ja ongi mõnus!

James - you see, I'm not just grilling pig's hearts :O

Claudia - I imagine you wanted to comment the Georgian mushroom dish instead ;)

Johanna - it's wonderful! Love the little crunchy poppyseeds.