Julia Child's Braised Cucumbers with Cream

Bonjour!! If you have not seen the movie Julie and Julia, you really should. I fell in love with this movie when it came out in 2009 and I owned Julia Child's cookbook, Mastering the Art of French Cooking within a few days! While I have not made every recipe in the book, I have made dozens. I mean, I have no real aspirations to make an aspic! Nor does my sweet husband care to even try it. However, there is a scene in the movie where Julie makes the braised cucumbers, and since it made its way into the movie I had to try them. We LOVE LOVE LOVE them. So I knew I had to share on my blog. I truly hope you love them as much as we do.

Serves 6 people as a side dish

Ingredients:

- 6 cucumbers 8 inches long

- 2 Tbsp white wine vinegar

- 1 & 1/2 teaspoon salt

- 1/8 teaspoon sugar

- 3 Tbsp melted butter

- 1/2 teaspoon dried dill or basil (I have always used dill)

- 3 minced green onion

- 1/8 teaspoon pepper

- 1 cup whipping cream

- 1 Tbsp minced parsley

Directions:

- Peel the cucumbers, cut in half lengthwise and scoop out the seeds with a very small teaspoon.

- Cut the cucumbers into lengthwise strips 3/8 of an inch wide then into 3-4 inch pieces.

- Toss the cucumbers in a bowl with the vinegar, salt and sugar and let stand for 30 minutes up to several hours. (This step is super important as it draws out the natural moisture of the cucumber while imparting a lovely flavor)

- Drain and pat dry.

- Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

- Toss the drained, dried cucumbers in a baking dish with the melted butter, herbs, onions and pepper.

- Bake uncovered for one hour, tossing 2 or 3 times until the cucumbers are tender but still have a suggestion of crispness and texture. Note: They will barley color during cooking.

NOW THE CREAM, THIS IS WHERE IT GETS GOOD!!!

- Boil the cream in a saucepan/pot. Watch it carefully, once it boils shut off immediately as it will boil over and all over your stove. I'm speaking from experience :-(

- Season with salt and pepper to taste.

- Pour into the hot, baked cucumbers, sprinkle with parsley and serve.

Bon Appetit!!!!