Chinese Smashed Cucumbers With Sesame Oil and Garlic

  • Yield:4 servings
  • Time:
    40 mins show details

In China, cucumbers are considered the ideal foil for hot weather and hot food. Versions of this salad, pai huang gua, are served all over the country, sometimes spiked with dried chiles and Sichuan peppercorns for more dimensions of flavor. In Beijing, people buy whole chilled cucumbers from street vendors and munch them on the go, much as Americans become attached to their cups of iced coffee in summer. The smashing process, a classic Chinese technique, cracks the skin, helps release the seeds and splits the flesh into appealing craggy pieces. Salting and chilling the cracked cucumbers give them the perfect cool, crunchy, watery mouth feel.

Tags: Chinese, Szechuan

Ingredients

  • 2 pounds
    thin-skinned cucumbers like English or Persian, (8 to 10 mini cucumbers, 4 medium-size or 2 large greenhouse)
  • 1 teaspoon
    kosher salt, plus more for cucumbers
  • 2 teaspoons
    granulated sugar, plus more for cucumbers
  • 1½ tablespoons
    rice vinegar, see note
  • 2 teaspoons
    sesame oil
  • 2 teaspoons
    soy sauce
  • 1 tablespoon
    flavorless vegetable oil, uch as plain olive oil or, better yet, peanut oil.
  • 2
    large garlic cloves, minced or put through a press
  • Red pepper flakes, to taste
  • Small handful whole cilantro leaves, for garnish
  • 2 teaspoons
    toasted white sesame seeds, for garnish optional
  • Sichuan peppercorns, see note optional
  • Lao Chen cu (aged Shanxi dark vinegar), instead of rice vinegar (see note) optional
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Preparation

  1. 40 mins

    Rinse cucumbers and pat dry. Cut crosswise into pieces about 4 inches long. Cut each piece in half lengthwise.

  2. On a work surface, place a piece of cucumber (or several) cut side down. Lay the blade of a large knife flat on top the cucumber and smash down lightly with your other hand. The skin will begin to crack, the flesh will break down and the seeds will separate. Repeat until the whole piece is smashed. Break or slice diagonally into bite-size pieces, leaving the seeds behind.

  3. Place the cucumber pieces in a strainer and toss with a big pinch of salt and a big pinch of sugar. Place a plastic bag filled with ice on top of the cucumbers to serve as a weight and place the strainer over a bowl. Let drain 15 to 30 minutes on the counter, or in the refrigerator until ready to serve, up to 4 hours.

  4. Make the dressing: In a small bowl, combine salt, sugar and rice vinegar. Stir until salt and sugar are dissolved. Stir in sesame oil and soy sauce.

  5. When ready to serve, shake cucumbers well to drain off any remaining liquid and transfer to a serving bowl. Drizzle with grapeseed or olive oil and toss. Add half the dressing, half the garlic and the red pepper flakes to taste, and toss. Keep adding dressing until cucumbers are well coated but not drowned. Taste and add more pepper flakes and garlic if needed. Serve immediately, garnished with cilantro and sesame seeds.

  6. Step image

Notes

Options to make it a more authentic dish:
- take some Sichuan peppercorns, roast them lightly until fragrant, then crush them and add to the sauce. These peppercorns have a slightly numbing effect until you get used to them so start small; once you get accustomed you'll notice it's a really smooth flavor.
- Instead of rice wine vinegar, use Lao Chen cu (aged Shanxi dark vinegar). The dark sorghum vinegar adds complexity to the dish and will result in a much more authentic tasting dish (it's typically available in most Chinese grocery stores).

Source: cooking.nytimes.com/recip...

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