Cucumbers are popular all over the world in the form of refreshing salad and raw vegetables. This salad is easy to make, but tastes refined and special. The preparation is fun. You can bash away with impunity and relieve some stress through meaningful violence. We have taken the liberty of combining a Chinese and a Japanese recipe . We hope not to hurt anyone’s feelings (sorry, Hirohito!).
Smashing the cucumbers is a Chinese technique. The fantastic dressing comes rather from Japan, from the classic cucumber salad named Sunomono. Astonishingly, the smashed cucumbers taste quite different from sliced ones. They also lose some bitterness due to the dehydration.
For smashing, it is best to use a meat tenderizer. Most households in Germany and Austria have such a device to pound Schnitzel. Use the flat side. If you do not have a meat tenderizer, use a small pot with a handle. This works almost as well.
Just hammer it, but don’t turn it into mush. We are not aiming for cucumber puree.
The smashed cucumbers are cut into roughly equal bite-sized pieces, this is how the salad tastes best.
Now the sliced cucumbers are drained. To do this, we mix them with a little salt to extract as much water and bitter substances as possible and drain them in a sieve.
We recommend not to be irritated by uninvited spectators.
Time to prepare the dressing. In a sufficiently large bowl, mix soy sauce, rice vinegar and sesame oil with sugar and very little salt using a whisk until the sugar has completely dissolved.
Garlic, which we cut into thin, even slices, will provide more flavour and texture. We use it to make a delicious crunch.
Don’t worry: the garlic won’t spoil your breath because we are frying it. We heat neutral vegetable oil in a small pan until bubbles form on a wooden spoon dipped in it. It then takes a surprisingly long time for the garlic to take on a golden colour. Make sure you stay by the heat, because hot oil is a serious matter.
Place the garlic slices on a plate to cool. The oil should also not be thrown away. Pour it into an airtight jar and drizzle it over your next pizza or use it in another dish.
After 20 to 30 minutes, the cucumbers will have lost enough water.
The salad can then be finalised. Gradually mix the dressing with the cucumber until the flavour is right for you.
If you like spicy food, mix in the chili flakes, if not, sprinkle very little of it on top. At the end, sprinkle everything with a few nori strips, the sesame seeds and the garlic slices.
This cucumber salad is a wonderful side dish for a Japanese meal. This typically involves serving two side dishes, a soup, a main dish and a bowl of rice. A radish salad can be a wonderful additional side.
Enjoy.
And may the taste be with you.
Ingredients (for 4 people):
4 small cucumbers
4 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp rice vinegar
2 tbsp sesame oil
1 tbsp sugar
1 pinch of salt
3 garlic cloves
2 TL black sesame seeds
Chilli flakes (optional)
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