I was intrigued by a recipe in a hundred-year-old cookbook for Cucumber Sauté, so decided to give it a try. Cucumber spears are briefly boiled, then rolled in flour and sautéed.
The Cucumber Sauté spears were slightly crunchy and very tasty.
Here’s the original recipe:
Except for the number of cucumbers, the amounts are not listed for any of the ingredients. When I updated the recipe, I added amounts for some of the ingredients.
Here’s the recipe updated for modern cooks:
Cucumber Sauté
water
4 small cucumbers (about 4 – 5 inches long)
butter or cooking oil (I used butter.)
1/3 cup flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
2 tablespoons minced parsley or chives (I used parsley)
Fill a saucepan about 2/3’s full of water; bring to a boil using high heat.
In the meantime, peel the cucumbers, and then quarter them lengthwise. Put the quartered cucumbers into the boiling water, reduce heat so the water simmers and cook the cucumbers 3 minutes. The drain the cucumbers and lay on a paper towel to eliminate any excess moisture.
In the meantime, combine the flour, salt, and pepper. Then roll the cooked cucumbers in the flour mixture.
In a skillet, heat enough butter or cooking oil to cover the bottom of the pan. When hot, add the floured cucumbers. Cook until they begin to lightly brown, then turn and lightly brown the other side. When the cucumbers are turned add the parsley or chives and evenly distribute over the cucumbers. When lightly browned on both slides remove from heat, drain on paper towels, and serve.
