CookEat Recipe
Cucumbers Espagnole
Tender cucumber pieces simmered with tomato sauce, green pepper, onion and parsley.
Method
Steps
Step 1
Wash and prepare the vegetables and herbs. Slice the two carrots and two onions. Chop the leek, two parsley branches, one celery rib and the green pepper. Chop one garlic bean. Use lean uncooked cured unsmoked ham labelled for cooking, measure four ounces after trimming and cut into small pieces. Put the two ounces of butter, ham and all these vegetables in a large saucepan with the two cloves, teaspoon of whole black peppercorns, half sprig each of bay leaves and thyme, tablespoon of salt and light tablespoon of icing sugar. Cook over a brisk heat for about twelve minutes, stirring, until a good brown colour.
Step 2
Measure two quarts of plain whole peeled canned tomatoes together with their tomato juice, then cut the whole tomatoes into quarters, keeping all the juice. Stir the four tablespoons of flour into the browned ham and vegetables and cook for five minutes, mixing well. Add the tomatoes with all their juice and the separate quart of cold water. Mix thoroughly, cover and boil very slowly for one hour and a half, stirring occasionally. Check that the ham has reached at least 70°C for two minutes.
Step 3
Strain the sauce through a sieve into a clean vessel, then through cheesecloth into another clean vessel. Measure half a gill of the finished tomato sauce for the cucumbers. Keep this measured portion hot at 140°F or above. Divide the surplus into small shallow containers and refrigerate promptly at 40°F or below, within two hours of cooking.
Step 4
Wash and neatly peel the three medium cucumbers. Cut each lengthwise into four equal quarters, carefully remove all the seeds, then cut into half-inch pieces. Bring the separate pint of water to a boil with the first child half teaspoon of salt. Add the cucumber pieces and boil for eight minutes, then drain on a sieve.
Step 5
Finely mince the half green pepper and half white onion. Heat the teaspoon of olive oil in a small frying pan and gently toss the pepper and onion for two minutes. Add the finely chopped half garlic bean and two peeled, crushed fresh red tomatoes. Mix well and cook for five minutes.
Step 6
Pour in the measured half gill of freshly prepared tomato sauce and add the drained cucumbers. Add the separate half teaspoon of salt, one saltspoon of cayenne and half teaspoon of sugar. Mix lightly and cook slowly for ten minutes, stirring occasionally, until the cucumbers are tender. Pour everything into a deep serving dish, sprinkle with the half teaspoon of freshly chopped parsley and serve.
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