Benedictine
Source of Recipe
the web
Recipe Introduction
Non-Louisvillians think that benedictine is a drink, but in Louisville we know it's a cucumber-onion filling for finger sandwiches named for caterer Jenny Benedict, who owned a sandwich shop downtown in the early part of the century.
Though the cream cheese is always flavored with cucumber and onion, the form of the vegetables varies with the cook's taste. Some people add cucumber chunks and make hearty sandwiches, others add only the juice to make a delicate spread. Below is a typical recipe. In the supermarkets, you'll often see benedictine tinted with green food coloring.
List of Ingredients
8 ounces cream cheese
1 teaspoon finely grated onion (grated on a hand grater, not in a food processor)
2 tablespoons juice squeezed from grated cucumber
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepperRecipe
Let cream cheese stand in a medium-size bowl at room temperature. Grate onion on the small side of a hand grater so that it is nearly pureed. Add to cream cheese. Peel cucumber and grate on the large side of a hand grater. Place in a clean tea towel and twist the towel to squeeze the juice from the pulp. Add juice to cream cheese along with salt and cayenne. Beat well.
Add more cucumber juice as desired to reach a spreading consistency. (A thinner mixture makes a good dip for vegetables and crackers.)
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