This dish is always a surprise to people as most people don’t associate cucumber within a cooked meal. But every single person who has tried this (and I know many a picky eater) just loves it. And to top it all, it’s so quick and easy to prepare, you’ll be a hero without any effort at all!

You can add a cup of chicken stock if you like a lot of sauce (I do!) and you can thicken it with flour or corn flour if it’s too runny for your taste. Cucumbers tend to produce a lot of water, so you probably won’t need to add more liquid, but you decide for yourself. It may seem like a lot of cucumber, but as they release water, they shrink so rather use more than less cucumber.

There are surprisingly few spices in this dish, but I think it’s superb as it is – with a dash of my favourite chilli sauce at the end, but then I would add chilli sauce to absolutely everything…oh yes, I think I actually do!

Serves 4
2 tbsp oil, preferably olive oil
2 onions, roughly chopped
100-200g bacon bits or lardons, smoked or natural
3-4 chicken breasts, chopped into bite-sized pieces
Salt and pepper
1 tub (200g) cream
1 tsp chicken stock powder or 1 cube, crumbled
2-4 cucumbers, peeled and cut into bite-sized pieces
OPTIONAL: 1 cup (250ml) chicken stock
1-2 tbsp flour mixed with a bit of water to thicken
Splash of chilli sauce
TO SERVE: white rice

METHOD:

1. Sauté the onion in the oil along with the bacon till softened. You don’t want to brown them as you want to keep the sauce white.
2. Add the chicken and sauté for about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Add the stock powder (and liquid if using) and the cream and simmer for a couple of minutes. Add the cucumber and simmer for 3-5 minutes more. You can simmer it for longer, but the cucumber will get soft. This isn’t a problem and also tastes great, so have a taste test and see what you prefer.
3. Add the flour mix, if using, and simmer for a couple of minutes till thickened.
4. Serve with rice if desired or just as is in a bowl if you aren’t eating carbs.
And that’s it! So simple and sooooooo gooood.