Chinese Smashed Cucumbers With Sesame Oil and Garlic
Updated Aug. 5, 2024
- Total Time
- 40 minutes
- Rating
- Comments
- Read comments
Advertisement
Ingredients
- About 2 pounds thin-skinned cucumbers like English or Persian (8 to 10 mini cucumbers, 4 medium-size or 2 large greenhouse)
- 1teaspoon kosher salt, plus more for cucumbers
- 2teaspoons granulated sugar, plus more for cucumbers
- 1½tablespoons rice vinegar
- 2teaspoons sesame oil
- 2teaspoons soy sauce
- 1tablespoon grapeseed or extra-virgin olive oil
- 2large garlic cloves, minced or put through a press
- Red pepper flakes, to taste
- Small handful whole cilantro leaves, for garnish
- 2teaspoons toasted white sesame seeds, for garnish (optional)
Opt out or contact us anytime. See our Privacy Policy.
Opt out or contact us anytime. See our Privacy Policy.
Preparation
- Step 1
Rinse cucumbers and pat dry. Cut crosswise into pieces about 4 inches long. Cut each piece in half lengthwise.
- Step 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.
- Step 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.
- Step 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.
- Step 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.
Private Notes
Comments
If you save the drained cucumber water from the strainer you can make a very refreshing cucumber-gin martini to precede your cucumber salad.
Please, if you are going to use evoo, call it "Chinese inspired or influenced ..." Instead, use any flavorless vegetable oil such as plain olive oil or, better yet, peanut oil.
No Chinese dish comes to mind utilizes the flavor of olives.
a shortcut and easier way to do the cucumbers: scoop out the seeds first. Then lightly smash. But instead of salting them to remove the water, do this: spread the pieces on a plate and put them in the refrigerator uncovered for 30 minutes or more. The dry air circulating in the fridge evaporates almost all the e moisture so you have dry cucumber pieces, no draining or remaining moisture to dilute your dressing.
Outstanding! I pounded the chicken before cutting into pieces, which I think helped. Served with rice and cucumber salad. Yum!
Very yummy salad. Used seasoned rice vinegar - no sugar on hand. Also used Yuzu infused olive oil - no sesame oil on hand. Did toast sesame seeds. I recommend teasing and adjusting to your own liking.
The first time I made this, everybody really liked it. I made it almost exactly as the recipe stated, except I put a little extra garlic in, when I tasted it, I thought it could use a little more. Today as I was looking at my vegetable bin, not only did I find cucumbers, but I found red orange and yellow peppers that really needed to be used and I added them also, it was delicious. Even the “I hate peppers “contingency in my family really enjoyed them. The recipe is so easy and it lasts a few days in the refrigerator. I make it often and now I’m going to keep adding peppers since everyone is eating them.
Advertisement