In the height of summer, cucumbers feel like a cool sigh – crisp, clean and full of refreshment. Their gentle, mellow flavour means they lend themselves so beautifully to all sorts of treatment: layered into a chilled soup, steeped in fragrant brine, or slipped into a gin cocktail as the evening begins. This quick pickle – light, bright and ready in minutes – preserves the cucumber’s freshness at its very best.
Ingredients
2 cucumbers, finely sliced
2 tsp sea salt
1½ tbsp white wine vinegar
1½ tbsp caster sugar
Method
Toss the cucumbers with the salt and tip into a colander. Cover with a saucer and place a weight, such as a tin of beans, on top. Set aside for 20 minutes.
Remove the plate and squeeze the cucumber gently between your hands to get rid of any excess water, then pat dry with kitchen paper. Toss with the vinegar and sugar and a handful of chopped dill, if liked. Delicious in hamburgers or as an accompaniment to smoked salmon.