Everyone will eat these up because they’re so good (and they must be healthy because, after all, they’re cucumbers, right?).
But they’re totally not. Anyways, it’s Chanukah, when everything has a little oil.
So, people come to your Chanukah party, and they’re on a diet so they don’t eat the donuts. Instead, they eat the cucumbers. All the cucumbers. One, because they’re really good and have this addictive crunch. Two, because they think they’re low calorie.
I first tasted these cucumber skewers at an event run by Fleshigs magazine last year at Sen Sakana, a Japanese restaurant on 44th St in Manhattan. Since then, I’ve been bugging Chef Mina Newman for the recipe. Finally, after a full year, the sesame cucumber recipe popped up in my inbox (Thanks Faigy K. for helping me nudge.) It’s been adapted for the home cook.
First, prepare your cucumbers.
(peeling the sides is optional)
Chef Mina soaks them in ice water to make them extra crunchy.
We made our crunchy quinoa by simply tossing 1 cup cooked quinoa
with a bit of oil,
spreading on a lined baking sheet
and baking in the oven.
It’s the kind of thing that will burn quickly if you leave it.
The dressing does have a couple steps, but you can do this ahead. (The original recipe was 3x this amount, but we cut down since we’re not making this in bulk. Note that it is easier to emulsify a larger quantity of dressing).
Sauté the garlic in the sesame oil until it’s golden. Then, remove from heat and stir in the canola oil.
Canola oil is to help cool down the mixture.
Transfer to a blender and add the other ingredients
and blend until smooth and emulsified.
Slice cucumbers on a bias,
insert skewers, and arrange on a platter. Spoon dressing on top
and top with fried quinoa
and sesame seeds.
That’s all! They’re surprisingly good, you’ll keep grabbing skewer after skewer. (But, no, they’re not low-calorie!).
Note that this version has been adapted for the home cook. The restaurant recipe, besides for being a larger batch, also included Peruvian yellow pepper or Amarillo. We did not find a version online with a hechsher, but if you do, you can add it to the dressing for some extra zing.
Sesame Cucumbers
Ingredients
- 4-5 Persian cucumbers
- 1 cup cooked quinoa
- 2 tbsp oil
- 2 tbsp sesame seeds
Dressing:
- ⅓ cup toasted sesame oil
- 3 garlic cloves, crushed
- 3 tbsp canola oil
- 1 tsp soy sauce
- 1 tbsp lime juice
- 1 tsp Kosher salt
Instructions
- Prepare the cucumbers. Peel a strip on three sides (optional, for decorative purposes). Soak in ice water for 20 minutes. Remove from ice water.
- Prepare the crunchy quinoa. Preheat oven to 375°F. Toss quinoa with oil, spread on a lined baking sheet and bake for 18-25 minutes. After the first 10 minutes, mix and check it every 5 minutes. It’s the kind of thing that will burn quickly if you leave it.
- Heat sesame oil in a sauté pan. Add garlic and cook until oil is making small bubbles and garlic starts to turn golden. Remove from heat. Add canola oil to help cool down the mixture.
- In a blender, combine oil/garlic mixture, soy sauce, lime, and salt and blend until smooth (the mixture will separate when stored in the refrigerator; simply shake well before using). This is easier to blend when you are making a bigger batch.
- Slice cucumbers on a bias, insert skewers, and arrange on a platter. Spoon dressing on top and top with fried quinoa and sesame seeds.
Sounds delicious!!
Thank you! I almost gave in a request for this recipe from bcp!!!
Had it 2 years ago and have been hooked since! Gonna surprise hub tonight!
I made this for a Chanuka party- I cut the cucumbers into half moons and put it over lettuce and it was a huge hit as a salad!
I made this as a salad and it had no flavor.
Does it specifically need to be canola oil to help it emulsify or olive oil would also work?