_Ingredients._—3 or 4 cucumbers, 2 oz. of butter, 6 tablespoonfuls of
brown gravy. _Mode._—Peel the cucumbers, quarter them, and take out the
seeds; cut them into small pieces, put them in a cloth, and rub them
well to take out the water that hangs about them. Put the butter in a
saucepan, add the cucumbers, and shake them over a sharp fire until
they are of a good colour; then pour over them the gravy, mixed with
the cucumbers, and simmer gently for 10 minutes, when it will be ready
to serve. _Time._—Altogether, ½ hour.
CUCUMBER SAUCE, White.
_Ingredients._—3 or 4 cucumbers, ½ pint of white stock, cayenne and
salt to taste, the yolks of 3 eggs. _Mode._—Cut the cucumbers into
small pieces, after peeling them and taking out the seeds. Put them in
the stewpan with the white stock and seasoning; simmer gently till the
cucumbers are tender, which will be in about ¼ hour. Then add the yolks
of the eggs, well beaten; stir them to the sauce, but do not allow it
to boil, and serve very hot. _Time._—Altogether, ½ hour.
CUCUMBER SOUP (French Recipe).
_Ingredients._—1 large cucumber, a piece of butter the size of a
walnut, a little chervil and sorrel cut in large pieces, salt and
pepper to taste, the yolks of 2 eggs, 1 gill of cream, 1 quart of
medium stock. _Mode._—Pare the cucumber, quarter it, and take out the
seeds; cut it in thin slices, put these on a plate with a little salt,
to draw the water from them; drain, and put them in your stewpan with
the butter. When they are warmed through, without being browned, pour
the stock on them. Add the sorrel, chervil, and seasoning, and boil for
40 minutes. Mix the well-beaten yolks of the eggs with the cream, which
add at the moment of serving. _Time._—1 hour. _Average cost_, 1_s._
2_d._ per quart. _Sufficient_ for 4 persons. _Seasonable_ from June to
September.
CUCUMBER VINEGAR (a very nice addition to Salads).
_Ingredients._—10 large cucumbers, or 12 smaller ones, 1 quart of
vinegar, 2 onions, 2 shalots, 1 tablespoonful of salt, 2 tablespoonfuls
of pepper, ¼ teaspoonful of cayenne. _Mode._—Pare and slice the
cucumbers, put them in a stone jar or wide-mouthed bottle with the
vinegar; slice the onions and shalots, and add them, with all the other
ingredients, to the cucumbers. Let it stand 4 or 5 days, boil it all
up, and, when cold, strain the liquor through a piece of muslin, and
store it away in small bottles well sealed. This vinegar is a very nice
addition to gravies, hashes, &c., as well as a great improvement to
salads, or to eat with cold meat.
CUCUMBERS, to Dress.
_Ingredients._—3 tablespoonfuls of salad-oil, 4 tablespoonfuls of
vinegar, salt and pepper to taste. _Mode._—Pare the cucumber, cut
it equally into _very thin_ slices, and _commence_ cutting from the
_thick end;_ if commenced at the stalk, the cucumber will most likely
have an exceedingly bitter taste, far from agreeable. For the purpose
of slicing cucumbers evenly and very thin, we recommend the slice in
preference to an ordinary knife. Put the slices into a dish, sprinkle
over salt and pepper, and pour over oil and vinegar in the above
proportion; turn the cucumber about, and it is ready to serve. This is
a favourite accompaniment to boiled salmon, is a nice addition to all
descriptions of salads, and makes a pretty garnish to lobster salad.
_Average cost_, when scarce, 1_s._ to 2_s._ 6_d._; when cheapest, may
be had for 1_d._ each. _Seasonable._—Forced from the beginning of March
to the end of June; in full season in July, August, and September.
[Illustration: CUCUMBER-SLICES.]
[Illustration: SLICED CUCUMBERS.]
CUCUMBERS, Fried.
_Ingredients._—2 or 3 cucumbers, pepper and salt to taste, flour, oil
or butter. _Mode._—Pare the cucumbers, and cut them into slices of an
equal thickness, commencing to slice from the thick and not the stalk
end of the cucumber. Wipe the slices dry with a cloth, dredge them
with flour, and put them into a pan of boiling oil or butter; keep
turning them about until brown; lift them out of the pan, let them
drain, and serve, piled lightly in a dish. These will be found a great
improvement to rump-steak: they should be placed on a dish with the
steak on the top. _Time._—5 minutes. _Average cost_, when cheapest,
1_d._ each. _Sufficient_ for 4 or 5 persons. _Seasonable._—Forced from
the beginning of March to the end of June; in full season in July and
August.
CUCUMBERS à la Poulette.
_Ingredients._—2 or 3 cucumbers, salt and vinegar, 2 oz. of butter,
flour, ½ pint of broth, 1 teaspoonful of minced parsley, a lump of
sugar, the yolks of 2 eggs, salt and pepper to taste. _Mode._—Pare
and cut the cucumbers into slices of an equal thickness, and let them
remain in a pickle of salt and vinegar for ½ hour, then drain them in
a cloth, and put them into a stewpan with the butter. Fry them over a
brisk fire, but do not brown them, and then dredge over them a little
flour; add the broth, skim off all the fat, which will rise to the
surface, and boil gently until the gravy is somewhat reduced, but the
cucumber should not be broken. Stir in the yolks of the eggs, add the
parsley, sugar, and a seasoning of pepper and salt; bring the whole to
the _point of boiling_, and serve. _Time._—Altogether, 1 hour. _Average
cost_, when cheapest, 1_d._ each. _Sufficient_ for 5 or 6 persons.
_Seasonable_ in July, August, or September; but may be had, forced,
from the beginning of March.
CUCUMBERS, Pickled.
_Ingredients._—1 oz. of whole pepper, 1 oz. of bruised ginger,
sufficient vinegar to cover the cucumbers. _Mode._—Cut the cucumbers
in thick slices, sprinkle salt over them, and let them remain for 24
hours. The next day, drain them well for 6 hours, put them into a
jar, pour boiling vinegar over them, and keep them in a warm place.
In a short time, boil up the vinegar again, add pepper and ginger in
the above proportion, and instantly cover them up. Tie them down with
bladder, and in a few days they will be fit for use.
CUCUMBERS, an excellent way of Preserving.
_Ingredients._—Salt and water, 1 lb. of lump sugar, the rind of
1 lemon, 1 oz. of ginger, cucumbers. _Mode._—Choose the greenest
cucumbers, and those that are most free from seeds; put them in strong
salt and water, with a cabbage-leaf to keep them down; tie a paper
over them, and put them in a warm place till they are yellow, then
wash them and set them over the fire in fresh water with a very little
salt, and another cabbage-leaf over them; cover very closely, but take
care they do not boil. If they are not a fine green, change the water
again, cover them as before, and make them hot. When they are a good
colour take them off the fire and let them cool; cut them in quarters,
take out the seeds and pulp, and put them into cold water; let them
remain for 2 days, changing the water twice each day, to draw out the
salt. Put the sugar, with ½ pint of water, in a saucepan over the fire;
remove the scum as it rises, and add the lemon-peel and ginger with
the outside scraped off; when the syrup is tolerably thick, take it
off the fire, and when _cold_, wipe the cucumbers _dry_ and put them
in. Boil the syrup once in 2 or 3 days for 3 weeks; strengthen it if
required, and let it be quite cold before the cucumbers are put in.
Great attention must be paid to the directions in the commencement of
this recipe, as, if these are not properly carried out, the result will
be far from satisfactory. _Seasonable._—This recipe should be used in
June, July, or August.
CUCUMBERS, German Method of keeping for Winter use.
_Ingredients._—Cucumbers, salt. _Mode._—Pare and slice the cucumbers
(as for the table), sprinkle well with salt, and let them remain for 24
hours; strain off the liquor, pack in jars, a thick layer of cucumbers
and salt alternately; tie down closely, and, when wanted for use, take
out the quantity required. Now wash them well in fresh water, and
dress as usual with pepper, vinegar, and oil.
CUCUMBERS, Stewed.
_Ingredients._—3 large cucumbers, flour, butter, rather more than ½
pint of good brown gravy. _Mode._—Cut the cucumbers lengthwise the size
of the dish they are intended to be served in; empty them of the seeds,
and put them into boiling water with a little salt, and let them simmer
for 5 minutes; then take them out, place them in another stewpan, with
the gravy, and let them boil over a brisk fire until the cucumbers
are tender. Should these be bitter, add a lump of sugar; carefully
dish them, skim the sauce, pour over the cucumbers, and serve.
_Time._—Altogether, 20 minutes. _Average cost_, when cheapest, 1_d._
each. _Sufficient_ for 3 or 4 persons. _Seasonable_ in June, July, and
August; but may be had, forced, from the beginning of March.
CUCUMBERS, Stewed with Onions.
_Ingredients._—6 cucumbers, 3 moderate-sized onions, not quite 1 pint
of white stock, cayenne and salt to taste, the yolks of 2 eggs, a very
little grated nutmeg. _Mode._—Pare and slice the cucumbers, take out
the seeds, and cut the onions into thin slices; put these both into a
stewpan, with the stock, and let them boil for ¼ hour or longer, should
the cucumbers be very large. Beat up the yolks of 2 eggs; stir these
into the sauce; add the cayenne, salt, and grated nutmeg; bring it to
the point of boiling, and serve. Do not allow the sauce to boil, or
it will curdle. This is a favourite dish with lamb or mutton chops,
rump-steaks, &c. _Time._—Altogether, 20 minutes. _Average cost_, when
cheapest, 1_d._ each. _Sufficient_ for 6 or 7 persons. _Seasonable_ in
July, August, and September; but may be had, forced, from the beginning
of March.