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Mizeria
Polish cucumber salad with soured cream and dill
Mizeria is the cool, creamy cucumber salad that sits beside Sunday dinner in Polish homes from May to September, especially next to young potatoes sprinkled with dill. Thin slices of cucumber are dressed in soured cream with dill, a pinch of sugar and a little lemon or vinegar, so it is fresh, tangy and slightly sweet. Legend links the name to Queen Bona Sforza longing for Italy, but in practice it is simply summer on a plate. Chef's tip: slice the cucumbers paper-thin on a mandoline or the slicing side of a box grater; thick slices never soak up the dressing.
- Total time
- 10 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
Method
0/3 doneStep 1: Peel 2 cucumbers in stripes or fully, as you like, and slice them very thinly. Put them in a bowl, sprinkle with ½ tsp salt, toss and leave for 5 minutes.
5 minStep 2: Tip the cucumbers into a sieve and press gently to let the liquid run off. A common mistake is skipping this: the salad turns into a watery soup within minutes on the table.
Step 3: Stir 5 ½ oz soured cream (śmietana 18%) with 2 tbsp dill, 1 tsp lemon juice, ½ tsp sugar and 1 pinch black pepper. Fold in the cucumbers, taste for salt and scatter with 1 tbsp chives. Serve straight away, cold, with new potatoes or pierogi.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 70 kcal
- Protein
- 2 g
- Carbs
- 6 g
- Fat
- 5 g
- Fibre
- 1 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does mizeria take?
- About 10 minutes in total.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of cucumbers?
- Courgette, same weight (in salads, use young ones).
- What can I use instead of lemon juice?
- Lime juice, same amount.
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