Chinese Spicy Cucumber Salad

Ingredients

• 1 Long English Cucumber (or 4-6 Persian Cucumbers)
• 1 teaspoon Salt
• 4 cloves Garlic
• 2 tablespoons Chinese Black Vinegar (Great Wall or Chinkiang)
• 1 tablespoon Light Soy Sauce
• 2 teaspoons Sesame Oil
• 1 teaspoon Sugar
• 2 tablespoons Chili Crisp (Lao Gan Ma) (or Chinese Chili Oil)
• Sliced Red Chili or pinch of Ground Sichuan Peppers (Optional)

Instructions

1. 1

   Prepare - wash cucumber and slice of the ends.

2. 2

   Smash - using the flat side of a cleaver or a rolling pin, smack cucumber along its length until it cracks. Careful not to hit into mush. Pro Tip: wrap in plastic cling wrap or place in a plastic bag to smash which contains pieces

3. 3

   Cut and Salt - using a knife, cut into small bite size pieces (1-2 inches). Place in a colander, sprinkle with salt, toss and let sit for 20 minutes.

4. 4

   Drain and Rinse - gently squeeze cucumber to release liquids. Quickly rinse under cold water to remove salt and pat dry with paper towels.

5. 5

   Make Dressing - combine minced Garlic, Black Vinegar, Soy Sauce, Sugar, Sesame Oil and Chili Crisp. Taste and adjust if needed: add Vinegar, Sugar or Chili.

6. 6

   Toss and Marinate - add cucumbers to dressing and gently toss until every piece is coated. Allow to marinate up to one hour in the fridge (best served cold).

7. 7

   Serve - garnish with sesame seeds or sliced red chili peppers. Serve cold or room temperature and enjoy.