Betting on Benedictine

The Unofficial Dip of the Derby

If you're not from Louisville, you've probably never heard of Benedictine. This creamy cucumber dip is an essential component of any authentic Derby spread. Once you've tried it, you will wonder how you ever lived without it.

brooklynderby_bene

Makes 40 servings

Ingredients

4 packages of cream cheese (8 oz. each), softened
1.5 tsp grated onion
2 tsp blended fresh dill
3 tbsp shredded cucumber without seeds
5 tbsp cucumber juice

Prep

  1. Peel and grate the cucumber. Put grated cucumber in a fine mesh sieve over a large bowl to collect the cucumber juice. Let it sit for at least an hour.
  2. Dump grated cucumber in cheese cloth (or a clean dish towel) and squeeze out remaining liquid into the bowl of cucumber juice.
  3. Grate onion and squeeze out liquid in the same fashion. Onion liquid does not need to be reserved.
  4. Chop up the fresh dill.
  5. Mix all ingredients with a fork until well combined and then refrigerate.
  6. Taste for seasoning.
  7. Serve chilled but soft, with pretzels.
  8. If, in some crazy world, there are leftovers, it is delicious on sandwiches.