2000s Recipes + Menus

Cucumber Noodles

Serves4 (side dish)
  • Active time:25 min
  • Start to finish:25 min
March 2007
Cooking cucumbers takes them out of the salad realm, transforming them into a side dish that's perfect with fish or white meat. Perked up with mint and lemon, they're as refreshing as ever.
  • 3 seedless cucumbers (usually plastic-wrapped; 2 1/2 to 2 3/4 lb total), peeled
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh mint
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1/2 teaspoon finely grated fresh lemon zest
  • 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
  • Special equipment:

    an adjustable-blade slicer with 1/4-inch julienne blade
  • Adjust blade of slicer to 1/8-inch-thick setting. Using slicer, cut each cucumber lengthwise into long 1/8-inch-thick julienne strips, slicing until you reach core, then rotate cucumber a quarter turn and continue slicing and rotating until left with nothing but core. Blanch cucumber "noodles" in a 4-quart pot of boiling salted water 1 minute, then drain in a colander. Immerse colander with cucumbers in a large bowl of ice and cold water to stop cooking, about 2 minutes. Drain cucumbers, then transfer to a clean kitchen towel and pat cucumbers dry.
  • Heat butter in a 10-inch heavy skillet over moderate heat until foam subsides, then cook cucumbers, mint, salt, pepper, zest, and lemon juice, tossing to coat, until just heated through, about 1 minute.
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