Suzanne’s Perfect Cucumber Vinaigrette Salad

Suzanne, or more properly Huguette Suzanne, has been my mother’s best friend for as long as I can remember, and I’ve always thought of her as my second mom, my Parisian mom. She somehow combines, in that peculiarly French way, bedrock practicality with great style and also a no-nonsense manner with unfailing joie de vivre. Among many other things, she introduced my sister and me at a very young age to the pleasures of French comfort food, including tripe, snails, garlic, baguettes, and other similarly exotic items.

That said, Suzanne’s simplest and most humble dish, her cucumber vinaigrette, is to me her most memorable. In a word, it’s perfect. Summery, crunchy, refreshing, tart, sweet, and peppery, with only the thinnest veil of dressing. I typically make this salad just with the optional fresh dill weed shown in the ingredients list below; however, the addition of a small spoonful of the optional sour cream or creme fraiche is also lovely.  [This is a previously published, updated recipe post.]

ingredients

2 medium-sized cucumbers, preferably of the unwaxed “European” (or “seedless”) variety
3 scallions, with half the green tops removed, and sliced diagonally into thin rings
1/2 – 1 teaspoon salt, to taste
2 tablespoon white wine vinegar
1 tablespoon light tasting salad oil
1 tablespoon sugar
1/8 scant teaspoon freshly ground pepper
(optional) 1/2 teaspoon sour cream or creme fraiche
(optional) 1 teaspoon fresh dill weed, chopped

preparation

1. Peel the cucumbers in a slightly sloppy way so that small bits of peel remain here and there. Cut both cucumbers across into wafer-thin (important!) slices and place them in a colander. Sprinkle the slices with the salt, mix well, and allow to drain for 15 minutes over the sink.
2. Small handful by small handful, press all cucumber slices as firmly as you possibly can (important!) between your clasped hands to express as much remaining liquid as possible. This step is essential to obtain wonderfully crisp cucumber slices.
3. Place the cucumber slices into a glass or ceramic bowl, sprinkle with the remaining ingredients, mix, and refrigerate for at least one hour before serving. Bon Appetit! Serves 4-6 as a side dish.

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