The Unconventional Technique Julia Child Used For Cucumbers

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When it comes to cucumbers, many of us can't get beyond tossing them raw into a mixed green salad or using them merely as a vehicle to get some dip into our mouths in crudités. But this green vegetable is way more versatile than you'd think. Cucumbers are a fresh vegetable you haven't been cooking but which you absolutely can; they can be sautéed, grilled, or fried. Then there's the cooking technique legendary TV chef and author Julia Child preferred. She turned these crisp and juicy raw veggies into a savory, buttery, earthy baked dish with a soft texture called concombres au beurre.

She liked to serve them as a side with a variety of chicken or veal dishes (and for the more adventurous eaters, with sautéed brains). Although Child helped popularize concombres au beurre in the U.S. through her book "Mastering the Art of French Cooking," it's a classic French recipe dating back at least to the 19th century. It's well known Child's favorite cuisine was French food, so it tracks that she would have included this dish that does an amazing job transforming cold cucumbers into a warm rich side. But there are a few tricks to make it work since the high-water content in cucumbers can make cooking them a bit tricky. 

Julia Child was a font of cooking tips and tricks to help home cooks avoid pitfalls in the kitchen, whether it was not crowding mushrooms in a pan or tasting as you go. For her baked cucumbers, she insisted on soaking them in a bowl of salted water for a few minutes before cooking them. This technique removes the cucumber's excess moisture and bitterness (if any) while retaining the vegetable's flavor. But that's not the only trick she used to enhance the flavor of this French dish.

Child enhanced the cucumber's flavor by adding a little vinegar and sugar. The vinegar brightens the dish while the sugar helps balance out any remaining bitterness. She then baked the cucumbers in the oven with butter, green onions, salt and pepper, and fresh herbs. Which herb you choose is up to you, but Child suggested either dill or basil. The results will surprise you. So if next summer you happen to have a bumper crop of cucumbers or are simply tired of eating these veggies the same old boring way any time of year, look to Child and the French for this unexpected but delicious way to cook them.