Smashed Cucumber Salad
I had this simple cucumber dish for the first time at ox9 a couple of months ago, and I was blown away by how good it was. I sought to recreate it and I'm really happy with how it turned out! It's tangy, slightly spicy, and so refreshing. It makes for a wonderful side with almost everything, especially during summer. I wasn't even a big fan of cucumbers growing up but this is probably one of my favorite vegetable dishes now.
Active Time: 15 min
Total Time: 45 min
Ingredients
> cucumbers (2 lb)
> salt, sugar
> red pepper flakes (to taste)
> sesame seeds
> cilantro
For the dressing:
> salt (1 tsp)
> sugar (2 tsp)
> rice vinegar (1.5 tbsp)
> sesame oil (2 tsp)
> soy sauce (2 tsp)
> garlic (2 cloves, minced)
Instructions
1. Cut the cucumber cross-wise into 4-inch pieces, then cut each piece in half lengthwise.
2. Place the cucumber cut side down. Smash down firmly with a cleaver. If you put enough force, the skin should slightly crack, and the seeds should (mostly) separate from the cucumber. Scrape with a spoon to remove any excess seeds, and break down / slice into bite-sized pieces. Repeat this process with all the cucumber.
3. In a strainer, toss cucumber with a large pinch of salt and sugar, and put the strainer over a bowl. Let drain for at least 15-30 minutes, up to 4 hours in the fridge.
4. In the meantime, make the dressing. Add the salt, sugar, rice vinegar, sesame oil, and soy sauce, and mix thoroughly. Then mince 2 cloves of garlic using a garlic press.
5. Transfer to a mixing bowl, using a paper towel to blot any excess moisture on the cucumber. Add half the dressing at first, mix well, and add more dressing as needed to taste. Add red pepper flakes to taste and mix well.
6. Serve garnished with some cilantro and sesame seeds. Enjoy!
Notes/Tips:
> When smashing the cucumber, some cucumber seeds may fly out from the bottom (at least, this happened to me). This is expected, just be prepared to do some cleanup work afterwards.
> Adding the salt / sugar to the cucumber and letting it sit helps extract some of the moisture from the cucumber. If you skip this step, the cucumber will exude too much liquid when served, leading to a watery result.
> I suggest using thicker cucumbers that have thinner skins -- "house cucumbers" are a good option. I think the skin on English cucumbers is too thick. Thinner skins give it a nicer texture / easier to crack, while thicker cucumbers affords you larger pieces that are more satisfying to eat.