You can prepare and fill the cucumbers up to 3 hours in advance. Keep them covered in the refrigerator, taking them out and slicing them 30 minutes before serving.
ingredients
makes 30 rings
3 1/2 oz tinned tuna in oil, drained and flaked
1/3 cup fresh whole wheat breadcrumbs
1 small stick celery, trimmed and finely chopped
2 spring onions, trimmed and finely chopped
4 level tablespoons Greek yoghurt
2 level teaspoons chopped fresh parsley
1 level teaspoon chopped fresh tarragon
2 teaspoons lemon juice
1/2 level teaspoon Dijon mustard
Freshly ground black pepper
1/2 red pepper, de-seeded and finely chopped
2 cucumbers, each about 12 oz, washed
Parsley or watercress leaves to garnish
method
1. Mix the tuna with the breadcrumbs, celery, onions and yoghurt. Stir in the parsley, tarragon, lemon juice and mustard, and season with black pepper. Mix in half the red pepper, then cover the rest and refrigerate.
2. Trim off the narrow ends of the cucumbers, then run a cannelle knife or the prongs of a fork down the length of the cucumbers at regular intervals to score the skin and give the cucumbers a green-and-white striped look. Cut each cucumber into four equal lengths and, using an apple corer or a small teaspoon, carefully hollow out the centre of each one.
3. Fill the hollows with the tuna mixture, pressing it in with a wooden spoon handle. Put the cucumbers in a dish, cover and refrigerate for 1 hour for the filling to firm up.
4. Cut the cucumbers into slices about 1/2 in thick. Garnish each slice with a sprinkling of the reserved red pepper and a parsley or watercress leaf. Arrange the rings on a plate or tray.
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more information
For the best proportion of filling to cucumber, use thin cucumbers and leave a shell about 1/2 inch thick. Do not cut the slices too thin; thicker slices hold the filling more securely.
