Cook Your Cukes

TECHNIQUE

Dec 21

Pulling from his Nordic stage and time at Uchi, Chef and Culinary Director of Houston’s Kirby Group, Brandon Silva, builds his menus with vegetable-forward dishes.

“When I staged at Bror in Copenhagen, they served grilled cucumbers with lamb. I ate that dish and was like, ‘Whoa.’ It was unlike anything I’d ever eaten, and I still remember it three and a half years later.” Pulling from his Nordic stage and time at Uchi, Chef and Culinary Director of Houston’s Kirby Group, Brandon Silva, builds his menus with vegetable-forward dishes. At Wooster’s Garden, the unassuming cucumber is the backbone of an elegant, memorable composition. “I see cucumbers as the Brussels sprouts of 2019. Usually we see cucumbers as something cold and raw, something pickled. I approached the cucumber like a steak.” Here’s the breakdown:

Cucumbers

The cucumbers are grilled over Japanese charcoal—Silva likes the flavor of the smoke—for five minutes on each side to get a charred exterior that gives way to al dente flesh reminiscent of zucchini.

Dukkah

Silva makes it rain Dukkah—the Egyptian spice blend consisting of coriander, sesame, pistachios, sesame seeds, and mint—over the cukes, adding texture and depth.

Salmon Roe

Throwing ikura into the mix, Silva says, “The salmon roe really plays on the palate and contributes a briny, seafood flavor. It’s unexpected and really makes people think.” Plus the tangerine spheres pop against the yellow-green of the cukes.