Cucumber cups are small cups made from seeded slices of cucumber, filled with various options such as summer spirits, salads, or hummus. Long, thin cucumbers work best, and each section should be cut straight. Removing the center is the hardest part, but once done, the cups can be filled with whatever the cook desires.
Cucumber cups are small cups made from thick slices of cucumber. Typically only about 1 inch (about 2 cm) high, the sections used to make the cups are seeded and then filled with whatever the cook desires. They may contain summer spirits or shot mixes, salads, compotes or hummus. Making cucumber cups at home may take some practice, but party guests often love them. They make very simple appetizers that work well for both casual and fine dining.
Long, thin cucumbers generally work best for making cucumber cups. They’re supposed to be just a mouthful of food, so a very large cup of cucumber might be difficult to eat, particularly if the contents are a little messy. English cucumbers often work well, because they don’t need to be peeled, but a long, thin regular cucumber can also be used. The fact that English cucumbers are seedless in this case doesn’t matter as the cook will cut away the center of each cup of cucumber whether it contains seeds or not.
Each section cut from the vegetable intended for making cucumber cups should be perfectly straight top and bottom. A crooked cut usually produces a crooked cup, meaning the vessel could tip and threaten to spill its contents. Straight columns, 1 to 1.5 inches (2 cm to 3 cm) tall are usually the perfect size for each cucumber section.
Removing the centers of cucumber slices is usually the hardest part. Gently poke the tip of a knife, vertically, down into each slice, aiming about 1/8 inch (about 1/4 cm) away from the edge of the cucumber section. Using a gentle sawing motion, the cook guides the knife in a circle around the inside of the slice, being careful not to hit the bottom and render the cup useless. When the circle is complete, the cook can gently twist the center portion of the cucumber cup until its interior pops open.
Once all the cups are formed, the cook can fill the cucumber cups with whatever he likes. Drink options include alcoholic shots made with melon liqueur, tequila, or other light flavors. Strawberry or plain lemonade work well for kids. Food options include garlic or chili hummus, dried fruit compote with nuts, tropical fruit salads, and chicken or seafood salads. Hosts can also arrange empty cucumber cups with different filling options. This way, cucumber cups can give an appetizer platter a variety of flavors without much work for the host.
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