Cucumbers are in season and abundant right now. – So let’s use some for a simple, but deliciously cooling summer dish!

In my experience, it’s rare that this dish (or some variety of it) is not present at a German potluck or barbecue party. To be 100% authentic, you would use English cucumber and saure sahne, a type of thick, soured cream with >10% fat. „Saure sahne“ literally translates as „sour cream“ but it is actually not identical (neither in taste nor fat-content) to sour cream as used in American cuisine . However, you can use sour cream or fat-reduced crème fraîche as a replacement.

The slight acidity of the dressing and juiciness of the cucumber make this a refreshing summer dish, particularly when you let it cool down for 30 minutes in the fridge before consuming.

Sanni

Ingredients (2-3 servings):

• 1 English cucumber, washed and dried
• 1 teaspoon of sea salt
• 150 grams of saure sahne (alternatively sour cream or fat-reduced crème fraîche)
• 2 to 4 tablespoons of white wine vinegar
• 2 to 3 tablespoons of icing sugar
• 1 small bundle of fresh dill, leaves picked off and roughly chopped (keep a branch or two for decoration)
• Freshly ground black pepper, salt

Preparation:

1. Lengthwise, peel thin strips of the cucumber so that strips of skin and peeled strips alternate.
2. Cut off the tips, discard and then cut the cucumber into thin slices (I use an electric slicer for this).
3. Place the cucumber slices in a colander, add the sea salt and then mix well with your hands. Let drip off for approximately 15 to 20 minutes.
4. In the meantime, mix the saure sahne with the white wine vinegar and sugar to taste. Be careful never to add too much of either ingredient at once or it may become difficult to outbalance the taste again. Season with black pepper and salt and fold in the chopped dill.
5. Once the cucumber slices have dripped off, add to the dressing and mix very well until all slices are covered with the dressing. Decorate with a branch of dill – enjoy!