Stuffed cucumbers
6 servings
60 minutes
Stuffed cucumbers are an original and exquisite dish of Greek cuisine, combining the freshness of vegetables with the rich flavors of mushrooms and ham. The history of the dish traces back to Mediterranean culinary traditions where stuffed vegetables hold a special place. Cucumbers, due to their lightness and crunchy texture, serve as an ideal base for the filling. Mushrooms and ham sautéed in butter with parsley and breadcrumbs add depth to the dish's flavor. Baking makes the filling tender while keeping the cucumbers soft yet structured. It is served with a fragrant tomato sauce that highlights all flavor nuances. This dish is perfect for a summer dinner or festive table, especially paired with a glass of dry white wine.
1
Cut the cucumbers into 4 cm pieces. Grease the baking dish with oil. Use a teaspoon to scoop out the flesh from the cucumber pieces and place them in the prepared dish.
- Cucumbers: 1 kg
- Butter: 90 g
2
Separate the mushroom caps, cut them into large pieces, and place them in a bowl, drizzled with lemon juice — save the stems for some soup. Add finely chopped ham to the mushrooms.
- Fresh mushrooms: 100 g
- Lemon: 0.5 piece
- Ham: 150 g
3
Melt 25 grams of butter in a pan, add mushrooms and ham, and cook on low heat, stirring, for 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, add finely chopped parsley and breadcrumbs. Remove the pan from the heat.
- Butter: 90 g
- Fresh mushrooms: 100 g
- Ham: 150 g
- Salt: to taste
- Ground black pepper: to taste
- Parsley: 3 stems
- Breadcrumbs: 2 tablespoons
4
Salt the cucumber pieces and fill them with the mushroom mixture. Place pieces of the remaining butter on top, cover the dish with foil, and put it in the preheated oven: bake for 40 minutes at 180 degrees.
- Salt: to taste
- Butter: 90 g
5
In the meantime, make the tomato sauce. Heat sunflower oil in a pan. Add finely chopped onion and cook on low heat, stirring, for 7 minutes until golden. Add the bouquet garni and peeled, finely chopped tomatoes, and cook, crushing them with a spatula, for another 15 minutes. Remove the bouquet garni and let the sauce cool slightly: then blend it, mixing in salt and sugar into the resulting puree.
- Sunflower oil: 3 tablespoons
- Onion: 1 piece
- Tomatoes: 1 kg
- Dry white wine: 3 tablespoons
- Salt: to taste
- Sugar: 1 teaspoon
6
Place the hot stuffed cucumbers on a warmed dish. Serve the warm sauce separately in a sauceboat.
