Someone on the internet mentioned a Buffalo Cucumber Salad and I was like: WHA?
Frank’s RedHot Sauce (or Frank’s®RedHot® according to their website) is one of the great products of Western Culture. I am very devoted. You can imagine my excitement at the idea of this salad. A quick search taught me that this salad was served at Parm in NYC and that the recipe had actually been published by Lucky Peach. I LOVE THE INTERNET.
In my haste to eat this, I didn’t take any photos. You can imagine what this looks like. Some cucumbers covered in an industrially produced hot sauce sauce. But the flavor…oh, the flavor.
Frank’s RedHot Sauce Vinaigrette
- 3 heads of roasted garlic, squeezed from their skins and mashed into a smooth paste
- 2-3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/4 cup of finely diced shallot
- 1 cup Frank’s RedHot Sauce
Mix it all together.
***
To make the salad you also need some salted peanuts that you have chopped coarsely, some crumbled blue cheese and a couple of those seedless cucumbers that are always wrapped in plastic. Peel some strips of skin off of the cucumbers so that they are striped and slice them in half lengthwise and use a spoon to scrape out the seeds. Slice them all into half-moons (1/8-inch thick?) and place them in a bowl. Add some vinaigrette. Enough to coat everything but not make it gloopy. Top with crumbled cheese (1/3 cup?) and peanuts (1/4 cup?) and serve. It’s really good with some roasted or grilled chicken.
Leftover vinaigrette can be used in a variety of ways- roasted vegetables, eggs, chicken, tofu, etc.. Or you can eat it with a spoon.
rachel says:
November 6th, 2014 at 11:11 am
So, is the red hot sauce different from his (frank’s) buffalo sauce? I went to check them out, and it seems they make both?
Molly says:
November 6th, 2014 at 11:30 am
Funny! Just saw this yesterday: http://benandbirdy.blogspot.com/2014/10/buffalo-cauliflower-trust-me.html
Tim says:
November 6th, 2014 at 12:06 pm
Hey Rachel- The RedHot sauce is the original. You should use that for this recipe. The Buffalo sauce they sell has some artificial butter flavor added to the sauce, you don’t want that.
Ksenia @ At the Immigrant's Table says:
November 6th, 2014 at 2:34 pm
I love this. Though I am not a fan of blue cheese – any other replacements? Feta, or is that too salty?
Tim says:
November 6th, 2014 at 2:38 pm
Hi Ksenia! Bryan doesn’t like blue cheese either, so I put some feta on his portion and he liked it.
kickpleat says:
November 6th, 2014 at 5:12 pm
I totally want to eat this up. I love Frank’s red hot and I think I’d make the feta switch too. Hubba hubba.
Claire says:
November 6th, 2014 at 7:02 pm
After you posted this, it’s all I could think about all day. It’s so weird and I can’t stop just spooning this into my face while standing in the kitchen. TOO GOOD TO SIT.
rachel says:
November 6th, 2014 at 10:06 pm
Thanks Tim! Going to buy cucumbers tomorrow specifically for this!
Amy says:
November 7th, 2014 at 12:12 am
Tim — one of my favorite posts ever. You make me believe in food blogs at my darkest times, ha ha.
Laura@howtocookgoodfood says:
November 7th, 2014 at 5:58 am
I have no idea what this sauce is but do you reckon I could replace it with Sriracha? If not what would you recommend to me in the UK?! It sounds amazing :)
Renia Carsillo says:
November 7th, 2014 at 7:06 am
Oh wow! Going to try it this weekend. I love this post, you can almost taste the urgency to eat something yummy! :)
Megan says:
November 7th, 2014 at 7:16 am
Funny, I noticed that someone posted a link above to Catherine Newman’s Buffalo Cauliflower. I read her blog regularly and saw that as well and I immediately went out and got the ingredients to make it this weekend. Now I want to make this too. Both in one weekend? My family probably won’t share my enthusiasm, but I don’t care. My love of all things Buffalo knows no bounds.
Tim says:
November 7th, 2014 at 7:34 am
Oh, Laura. Sadly, there is no substitute. It’s truly unique in terms of hot sauces, and Sriracha would not be a good substitute. I say you keep your eyes open for a bottle of Frank’s in the UK. I know I have seen it in London in the past. The sauce is an important part of a variety of “buffalo”ed foods that are very popular here.
thefolia says:
November 7th, 2014 at 11:52 am
What an interesting combination…will try it in my nest. Thank you for sharing and happy nesting.
tanya says:
November 7th, 2014 at 2:35 pm
When you say 3 heads, is that 3 cloves or 3 entire heads of garlic?
christine says:
November 7th, 2014 at 8:57 pm
I love your blog but this is the first post that has compelled me to post. Will be trying with Crystal hot sauce because I have my own loyalties, but this is just amazing.
Larry says:
November 7th, 2014 at 10:29 pm
Interesting that Laura can’t find Franks in the UK. Its made by Reckitt Benckiser of Slough, Berkshire, England. Retailers in UK. http://www.franksredhot.co.uk/franks.html
Sarah says:
November 8th, 2014 at 7:22 am
!!!!!!
I really like Frank’s Red Hot. This is very, very exciting.
xo
Tim says:
November 8th, 2014 at 10:06 pm
Christine- I also love Crystal! It is in my top 3. But I think it serves a different purpose than Frank’s.
Larry/Laura- Yeah, Frank’s is now owned by an international food corp that is based in the UK, but it is an American product (made in Springfield, MO–I think) and is much easier to find here. Thanks for the link to suppliers. Laura, I bet you’ll be able to find a bottle!
Tim says:
November 8th, 2014 at 10:07 pm
Oh, and Tanya– 3 heads, as written.
Louise says:
November 10th, 2014 at 4:18 pm
I love all things Buffalo, and definitely Franks RedHot Sauce, but cucumbers of any kind, except pickles, kill me, so I’m going to have to try the cauliflower variety.
Sharon says:
November 11th, 2014 at 10:50 am
I can get Frank’s redhot sauce in Tesco in the Highlands of Scotland……….you will find it!
Claire says:
November 11th, 2014 at 11:27 am
I hate cukes, except for juicing them. I had plenty in my fridge, un-juiced, so I turned them into this salad, subbing gorgonzola because my husband doesn’t like regular blue cheese. This is unspeakably delicious. Thanks!
schneiderluvsdoof says:
November 11th, 2014 at 12:12 pm
This sounds delicious and easy. Will make & eat with spoon. Thanks Tim!
Tim says:
November 11th, 2014 at 10:02 pm
Oh, Sharon. Wish I was shopping at a Tesco in the Highlands. : )
Rachel Post says:
November 13th, 2014 at 9:03 am
in culinery school, my neighbor’, a fellow NJ’n, father was the president of Frank’s RedHot. And she would get us those huge jugs that look like moonshine bottles. We definately made a lot ‘buffalo’ inspired dishes but we never thought of dressing for veggies. This salad sounds amazing, can’t wait to try!
Scott says:
November 15th, 2014 at 6:10 pm
Just made this. You have not violated any truth-in-advertising laws here!
It is sensational, and I cannot believe it came out of my own kitchen, let alone a Costco sized bottle of Frank’s.
Back to eating the rest of the bowl with friends…just had to type this on the run.
Thanks for making life better for all of us, Tim.
Willy says:
December 6th, 2014 at 1:16 pm
I have never heard of Franks Hot Sauce until I read this post. Therefore I made the recipe completely wrong. I used the Franks buffalo sauce (not knowing any better) and only three cloves of garlic not three heads because I misread it. Anyhow, it was so good I’ve made it three times since and used up all the hot (buffalo) sauce I bought. I’ve now seen reference to Franks Hot Sauce in another blog and at my in-laws house over Thanksgiving. I’m going to have to try to make it the right way but my mistake was so yummy! I just keep thinking about that red square you posted in lieu of a photo and getting hungry.