Dish of Cucumber Salad, Smacked
(click to enlarge)

Cucumber Salad, Smacked


China - Sichuan   -   Suan Ni Pai Huang gua
Makes:
Effort:
Sched:
DoAhead:  		 1 #
**
40 min
Yes		 An easy to make salad, dressed quite differently from the norm, and I happen to like it a lot. It does have a chili bite, but you can control that. Because of salting and draining, it won't get wattery if it has to stand for awhile.

1
1
-----
2
1/8
1/2
1
1
2
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#
t
---
cl
t
t
T
t
T
---
Cucumbers (1)
Salt
-- Dressing
Garlic
Sichuan Peppercorns (2)  
Sugar
Soy Sauce
Black Rice Vinegar (3)
Chili Oil (4)
----------
Make   -   (35 min - 10 min work)
  1. Smack CUCUMBERS lightly with your kitchen mallet, then turn 1/4 and smack some more. Hit just hard enough to bruise the inside some, try not to smash them. You should get a few small cracks through the skin, but not more.
  2. Trim ends from Cucumbers, then cut lengthwise into halves, (quarters if very large). slice them crosswise on the diagonal about 1/4 inch thick. Tumble with Salt and let stand for at least 20 minutes, tumbling now and then.
  3. Drain Cucumbers (don't rinse) and shake dry.
  4. Crush GARLIC and chop fine.
  5. Grind Sichuan Peppercorns.
  6. Mix all Dressing Items in a small jar. Shake the dressing up well and pour over the Cucumbers. Toss to coat well.
NOTES:

  1. Cucumber:

      If at all possible use thin cucumbers like Persian or Japanese that don't have to be peeled and seeded. The instructions above presume Persians 6 inches long. If all you have is the standard waxed green blimps, you will have to peel and seed them, then weigh them. For details see our Cucumbers page.

  2. Sichuan Peppercorns:

      Fruits of a prickly ash tree, now again legal in the US so long as they are lightly toasted. These are nothing at all like black pepper. For details see our Sichuan Pepper page.

  3. Black Rice Vinegar:

      [Chinkiang Vinegar]   for details see our Vinegars page.

  4. Chili Oil:

      This common ingredient is sold in small bottles in Asian markets. It is better made at home per our recipe Chili Oil.

  5. Comments:

      Chili Oil made by our recipe is not terribly hot, and just fine for me, but if you are unsure of your guests, you might want to cut it up to 50% with plain olive oil. Use your own best judgement here.
  6. U.S. measure: t=teaspoon, T=Tablespoon, c=cup, qt=quart, oz=ounce, #=pound, cl=clove in=inch, ar=as required tt=to taste
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