It is very associated with weight loss diets, since it has very few calories and a lot of water, and its taste is not to everyone’s liking. However, the different varieties can give us a lot of play in the kitchen, like this recipe for grilled baby cucumber with crunchy seeds.
Because yes, cucumber can also be cooked, especially with small formats such as this dish. When they are fresh they have very thin skin and brown and tasty meat, more digestive and with much smaller and almost imperceptible seeds. When it is browned on the plate its flavor is transformed, almost remembering the zucchini.
Wash and gently dry baby cucumbers. Cut in half lengthwise, and repeat the operation with each half unit, to obtain four long pieces of each cucumber. Place in a strainer with the cuts up, add a good pinch of coarse salt and let stand 20 minutes.
Combine the spices and seeds in an ungreased pan and heat over medium heat, ensuring that they do not burn, stirring carefully, until they are slightly roasted – they will emit a light aroma and maybe some skip. Remove, let cool slightly and crush in a mortar, leaving pieces more whole.
Clean the cucumbers with paper towels to remove the salt and water that have been soled. Heat in the same pan – or use an iron or grill – a little oil and add the cucumbers. Give a blow of black pepper and cook, turning them little by little, until they have browned well on all sides.
Serve the cucumbers with the seed mixture on top, ground turmeric and, optionally, a dash of extra virgin olive oil, lemon zest and/or soy sauce.
With what to accompany the baby cucumber with crunchy seeds
Because of its small size, grilled baby cucumber with crunchy seeds can be a snack to share, dipping it for example in a yogurt sauce, as a first course or side dish. For a light dinner, it is a great option, completing it with some eggs, a simple grilled fish or the hummus that we like the most.
