Ingredients
Cucumber
- 2large cucumbers, or 6 small Polish ones
- 1 tspsalt
Dressing
- 200 mlsoured cream, śmietana
- 1 tbspwhite wine vinegar or lemon juice
- 1 tspsugar, optional
- white pepper
- salt
Herbs
- 1large bunch fresh dill, chopped
- 1small onion or a few spring onions, very thinly sliced, optional
To serve
- with roast chicken, fried fish, or boiled potatoes with butter
Directions
- Slice the cucumber very thinly, using a mandoline if you have one. Slice it as thinly as you can, since thick slices stay watery inside and never take up the dressing.
- Toss the slices with a teaspoon of salt in a colander and leave them for twenty minutes. Press the slices between your hands or against the colander to force out more water.
- Squeeze firmly enough to expel the water but not so hard that the slices tear into shreds. Pat them dry with a cloth afterwards. Use proper soured cream, śmietana, rather than crème fraîche or double cream.
- Whisk the cream with vinegar or lemon juice and white pepper. The extra acid sharpens it, since the cream alone is not sour enough against the cucumber.
- Use a great deal of fresh dill, chopped fine. Chop it just before using it, since it loses its scent quickly once cut. Fold the dressed cream through the drained cucumber gently. Fold rather than stir, since the thin slices break up easily.
- Add thinly sliced onion or spring onion if you want it, which some households consider essential and others leave out.
- Taste and adjust the salt, acid and pepper now. Now chill it for twenty minutes before serving. Serve it as a side dish, and it goes with almost anything from the summer table.
Technique
- The Queen Bona Sforza story is folk etymology rather than history.
- Salting and draining the cucumber is what stops the dressing going watery.
- Dill is a main flavour rather than a garnish.
Substitutions
- Full-fat natural yoghurt in place of soured cream.
- Lemon juice in place of vinegar.
Variations
- Made with yoghurt, which is lighter.
- With a dressing of oil and vinegar instead of cream.
- With radishes sliced through it.
Frequently asked questions
What is Mizeria?
Mizeria is a salad & side from Poland: cool cucumber ribbons in soured cream with dill.
How long does Mizeria take to make?
Mizeria takes 15 min plus 20 min salting of preparation and none of cooking. The recipe makes 4 servings. It is rated easy to make.
What can I substitute in Mizeria?
Yes, within limits. Full-fat natural yoghurt in place of soured cream. Lemon juice in place of vinegar.
What is the most important thing to get right in Mizeria?
Slice the cucumber very thinly, using a mandoline if you have one. Slice it as thinly as you can, since thick slices stay watery inside and never take up the dressing.
