Indian Spiced Cucumber Spears

From the forever inspiring Madhur Jaffrey comes this quick technique to dress up crunchy cucumber spears. At Cafe Drake HRV we serve them with cocktails or, sometimes in lieu of a pickle, alongside sandwiches.

Scrub 1 long, cucumber well and, if waxed, peel. Cut horizontally into 4 wedges or spears. Arrange on a plate and sprinkle lightly with lemon juice. Do the same with coarse salt, any kind you prefer. Now, in a small skillet heat 1-2 T. olive oil over a high flame. When the oil is hot throw in 1 t. black mustard seeds and cover the skillet until the seeds have almost stopped popping, a matter of 30 seconds or less usually. Remove lid and throw in 1/2 t. cumin seeds. Allow to sizzle for a few seconds and then pour the oil and seeds, as evenly as you can manage, over the cucumbers. Finish with freshly ground black pepper.

Note: the measurements for the oil and seeds are based on 4 servings (4 long spears).