Background
Cottage Cheese Stuffed Cucumbers don’t have a clear history. Many have different opinions on how and where they started in Poland. One things is for sure, they are very popular flagship dish for special occasions and barbecues in Poland.
Taking only 3 ingredients these tasty, refreshing creamy treats are an excellent compliment to meat dishes. The straightforward method only requires a little attention to detail and after a bit of practice. They become a super easy, super fancy, 15 minute side dish.
| – Around 350g (12.5 oz) of long cucumbers – 100g (3.5 oz) of Cottage cheese intended for sandwiches (Almette, Philadelphia whipped cream cheese or Alouette) – 4 Small red radishes, around 60g (2 oz) – 2 Tablespoons of fresh Chives – 1/2 Teaspoon of Salt & Pepper – Dill or Parsley for decoration (optional) |
Preparation
- Wash the cucumbers
- Wash and and finely chop 2 of the radishes. Slice the remaining 2 radishes, giving you thin whole circles for decoration.
- Finely chop the chives
Method
Peel & Cut
For this part I recommend using a vegetable peeler if you have one. When peeling each cucumber, use light pressure and only peel them partially. Your aiming for a green zebra style effect.
Continue until all the cucumbers have this pattern. After the peeling is finished, cut the cucumbers into chunks around 4cm (1.5 inches) long.
Time to Scoop
This stage will be much easier for anyone who has a watermelon cutter/scoop. You can use a small sharp knife with a small teaspoon if you don’t have one, but it will be a bit more fiddley.
Using the scoop or spoon, remove around 3cm (1 inch) of the inside of each cucumber chuck on one side. Be sure to leave at least 1cm (1/3 of an inch) at the bottom of the cucumber chunks so the cream cheese doesn’t leak out when it meets the juices in the cucumber.
Continue scooping the cucumber segments until all the chunks become little cups.
Prepare the Filling
In a medium sized bowl. Add the Cottage cheese and give it a mix to spread it out a little. Add the finely chopped radishes, Chives, Salt and Pepper. Before mixing thoroughly until well combined. Note: you can also add some other ingredients at this stage. Such as finely chopped red peppers, scallions or lemon zest. Don’t be afraid to experiment a little.
Fill and Decorate
Add the Cheese mix to all the cucumber cups as evenly as possible. Once finished, add the sliced radish and other chosen decorative items. Finish by dusting each one with a little ground pepper for taste and effect.
Serving
Cottage Cheese Stuffed Cucumbers are traditionally served as a side with meats, and thus go very well at barbecues. That being said, they go well with almost anything and never fail to impress at every occasion. Making them a easy, elegant choice to bring to special occasions as a platter.
Storage
If refrigerated within an hour of being completed in an airtight, food safe container. Then up to 3 days should be possible for storage. However, due to the mixing of cucumber juices with the cheese and oxidization. Their appearance may deteriorate after 24 hours of storage. I strongly suggest making them less than 12 hours before events for the best results.