Smacked cucumbers are cooling and refreshing; traditionally a Sichuanese appetiser, they are in many ways a palate cleanser as much as they are a side dish. But they work so well alongside sizzling-hot or spicy meat, fish, vegetables and tofu dishes hot and cold foods alike. I’m keen on them whenever I’m serving noodles or plain rice and want something to cut through the meal and provide extra spark. That’s quite a regular occurrence for me, so it’s fortunate that they’re also quick, easy and fun to prepare.
Ingredients
- 750 g cucumbers
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 2 garlic cloves, crushed
- 1 tablespoon light soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon black Chinkiang vinegar
- 2 teaspoons golden caster sugar
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
- 2 teaspoons white or black sesame seeds
How to Make It
- Wash the cucumbers but don’t peel them, then place them on a solid board or work top. Use a mallet, rolling pin or cleaver to smack them, so that the centres get squashed and turn a little mushy, and they split in several places lengthways. You can be pretty brutal.
- Chop the smacked and split cucumbers into 3–4 cm pieces along their length. Put them in a bowl and add the salt. Toss well and chill in the fridge for at least 10 minutes, and up to 1 hour.
- Mix the remaining ingredients, except the sesame seeds, together in a bowl. A few minutes before eating, pour the sauce over the cucumbers and the water that has been drawn out by the salt, sprinkle with the sesame seeds and mix well.
