Szechuan Cucumbers Recipes

CHINESE SMASHED CUCUMBERS WITH SESAME OIL AND GARLIC

Steps:

• Rinse cucumbers and pat dry. Cut crosswise into pieces about 4 inches long. Cut each piece in half lengthwise.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.

SZECHUAN CUCUMBERS

Steps:

• Place cucumber slices in medium serving bowl, set aside.
• In a small bowl, combine rice vinegar, sugar, red pepper flakes, salt and sesame oil, mix well.
• Pour dressing over cucumber slices and toss well.
• Cover and let rest at room temperature up to 4 hours.
• Drain cucumbers.
• Garnish with cilantro, if desired, before serving.

SZECHUAN CUCUMBER SALAD

Steps:

• Peel the cucumbers, cut in half crosswise and then in half lengthwise.
• Scoop out the seeds and discard. Cut into strips about 2 in (5 cm) long and 1/2 in (1 cm) wide.
• Sprinkle cucumber strips with salt and mix thoroughly. Set aside for at.
• least 10 minutes at room temperature. Drain the cucumbers and squeeze out all the excess liquid with your hands. Clean the scallions and cut them into 2 in (5 cm) lengths, cut these into thin strips, and add to the cucumbers. Add the rest of the ingredients and mix.

SICHUAN CUCUMBER SALAD

Steps:

• Heat a dry skillet over medium heat. Add red chile peppers; cook and stir until fragrant, about 5 minutes. Let cool and transfer to a spice grinder; pulse until coarsely ground.
• Mix ground chile peppers, soy sauce, spring onion, sesame oil, hot chile oil, brown sugar, garlic, black vinegar, and sesame seeds together in a bowl to make dressing.
• Place cucumbers on a serving plate. Pour dressing on top and toss well. Let sit before serving, about 3 minutes.

SZECHUAN CUCUMBER SLICES

Steps:

• Wash cucumbers, cut in half lengthwise and remove seeds. Cut cucumber halves into 1/2 inch slices. Place in medium bowl, sprinkle with salt and let stand for 4 hours.
• Squeeze liquid from cucumbers and rinse, place with garlic and red peppers in serving dish.
• Heat sesame oil in a small saucepan over high heat until it begins to smoke. Pour over cucumber slices. Heat vinegar in small saucepan until it boils. Remove from heat add sugar and mix well. Pour over cucumbers and stir well.
• Cover and refrigerate for about 4 hours before serving. May be refrigerated up to 1 week. Serve cold.