Jesse Jenkins' Smashed Cucumber Caesar

When breaking something makes it better: smashed cucumbers hold sauce like a dream—and in this Caesar twist, they shine. From Jesse Jenkins' new book, Cooking With Vegetables

30 minutes prep

10 minutes cook

Serves 4

Guest Contributor

Ingredients

Smashed cucumbers:

3cucumbers, washed

3 tbsppanko breadcrumbs

1 tbspextra virgin olive oil

2 garlic cloves, bashed (skin left on)

4 thyme sprigs

1lemon, zested

handfulchives, finely sliced

handfulparsley, chopped

salt & pepper, to taste

Caesar dressing:

4-6tinned anchovy fillets, crushed to a paste

25gParmesan, finely grated

1egg yolk

15gDijon mustard

1lemon, juiced

1 tspWorcestershire sauce

1 tspTabasco

100mlextra virgin olive oil

When the process of breaking something creates unformed beauty, it is incredibly satisfying.

If it also has a practical function, I'm sold. The jagged texture of the cucumber here creates

more surface area to grab onto sauce and toppings. I learned the technique while making oi

muchim, a Korean spicy cucumber salad, and have used it ever since. This version goes full

Caesar and it's totally delicious.

Method

Smash the whole cucumbers using the flat side of a large knife until they start to break down, then roughly chop them into uneven, large bite-sized pieces. Put them in a colander over a bowl with a good pinch of salt, mix well and set aside for 15-20 minutes.

Meanwhile, toast the breadcrumbs in the olive oil in a frying pan with the garlic cloves and thyme till golden brown. Remove from the heat and season with salt and the lemon zest while hot, then set aside.

You can make the dressing in the same way as you would a mayonnaise, putting all the ingredients other than the oil into a bowl and mixing well, then slowly streaming in all the oil, whisking constantly throughout. Otherwise, blend all the ingredients at once in a blender (I often blend it). Check for seasoning.

Drain the cucumbers, then add them to the dressing with half the herbs. Mix well, then finish with the toasted breadcrumbs and the rest of the herbs.