Stewed Cucumbers (English Mode)

Ingredients

• 4-5 cucumbers
• white pepper or cayenne
• flour
• butter
• brown gravy
• lemon-juice or chili vinegar

Instructions

1. Pare and split four or five full-grown but still young cucumbers into quarters.
2. Take out the seeds and cut each part in two.
3. Sprinkle the cucumber pieces with white pepper or cayenne.
4. Flour the cucumber pieces.
5. Fry them lightly in a little butter.
6. Lift them from the pan and drain them on a sieve.
7. Lay the drained cucumbers into as much good brown gravy as will nearly cover them.
8. Stew them gently for twenty-five to thirty minutes, or until they are quite tender.
9. Should the gravy require to be thickened or flavoured, dish the cucumbers and keep them hot while a little flour and butter is stirred into it.
10. Add a small portion of lemon-juice, chili vinegar, or cucumber vinegar to the sauce if desired.