Smashed Chili Cucumber Salad

• total time: 2 minutes

Ingredients

3 English cucumbers

1 tbsp sesame seeds, toasted

1 clove garlic

1-2 tsp sugar

1-2 tbsp Chinese black vinegar

1 tbsp chili crisp

1 tbsp soy sauce

2 tsp sesame oil

2 big pinches of flaky sea salt

Directions

Step one: Smash and Chop

Cut the ends off the cucumbers and using the palms of your hands and some body weight, press straight down and crush the cucumbers so they flatten out.

Using a chef’s knife, roughly chop each cucumber in an alternating angle format.

Leaving any excess liquid on the cutting board, place all of the smashed and chopped pieces in a large mixing bowl. Add a few big pinches of flaky sea salt and set aside. This will extract additional moisture and intensify the flavour.

Step two: Bring it All Together

If your sesame seeds aren’t already toasted, put them into a dry pan over medium heat and toss for a couple of minutes until golden brown. Immediately remove them from the pan to stop them from cooking. Set aside.

Drain the water from the resting cucumbers.

Add 1 tbsp black vinegar, 1 tsp sugar, 1 tbsp sesame seeds, about 1 tsp flaky sea salt, and toss.

Press the garlic into the bowl and toss.

In a separate bowl, mix the soy sauce, chili crisp, and sesame oil. Mix well and then add it to the cucumbers and again mix well. Give it a taste and adjust by adding a bit more vinegar and/or sugar if needed.

Serve as a side or alone as a great lunch. I always like to top it with a little more of the chili crisp mixture.