Recipe: Cucumber carpaccio with red chili & fennel

For this post in particular, I’m going to have to get this disclaimer over with right away: I am not a photographer. So until I really rally my crap and get our snazzy Nikon together, these pics are going range from eh to bleh. Not a great trait for a food blog, I know. I promise attempted improvement over time.

Now, having said that, please don’t let the crummy picture here dissuade you from trying this super simple, slightly spicy summer salad. (Say that five times fast without being accused of speaking Parseltongue. I dare you.)

Cucumber Carpaccio with Red Chili & Fennel
By Emily Stoffel
Cooking time: <5 mins | Serves: 1-2

Note: Try this recipe with almost ANY summer veggie, or a combination of veggies: zuchs, steamed beets, fresh corn, creamy slabs of boiled or roasted Yukon Golds — whatever. Even kale gets its good on with this treatment. Oh, and bust out the butteriest, grassiest, spiciest olive oil you’ve got stashed away for this. It’ll be worth it.

Ingredients:

  • 2 lemon cucumbers, thinly sliced (or other veggies — see note)
  • good olive oil
  • fresh lemon juice
  • crushed chili flakes
  • lightly crushed fennel seed
  • smoked sea salt (coarse)

Instructions

Arrange cucumbers on a serving plate. Drizzle generously with lemon and olive oil.  Sprinkle with the chili flakes and crushed fennel to taste. Just before serving, top with the smoked salt.

In the Pigpen No.1: Bacos, badonkadonks & bomb-diggity bread
Obsession: Cray for J. Crew + GDL love

7 Comments on “Recipe: Cucumber carpaccio with red chili & fennel”

  1. Is there a substitute (recommended) for smoked salt? Or is sea salt fine? Seems the smoked salt would add a different character.

    1. Smoked salt is especially tasty; there’s an inexpensive version that comes in a self-grinder at Trader Joe’s. If you don’t like or don’t have that option, sea salt would be just fine. I’d just recommend using a coarse or flaky salt. Something with texture. Hope it works out!

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