Tataki Kyuri (Smashed Cucumber Salad)

Method6 steps · about 10 min

1. 1

   Step 1: Wash the chilled skin-on cucumbers. Trim and discard both ends of each.

   Uses 300 g chilled Lebanese cucumbers, skin on

2. 2

   Step 2: Put all the trimmed cucumbers in a sturdy zip-lock bag, press out the air and seal it. Lay the bag on a stable work surface.

   Uses All the trimmed cucumbers

3. 3

   Step 3: Hit the cucumbers in several places with a rolling pin or sturdy empty bottle until they break into irregular bite-size pieces. Break any long pieces by hand; avoid crushing them into tiny fragments.

   Uses All the bagged cucumbers

   
4. 4

   Step 4: Add the chopped ginger (1 tbsp), chopped garlic (1 tbsp), salt (¼ tsp), soy sauce (½ tsp) and sesame oil (¼ tsp) to the bag. Close it, then shake and gently massage until all the cucumber pieces are coated.

   Uses All the smashed cucumber · 1 tbsp finely chopped ginger for dressing · 1 tbsp finely chopped garlic · ¼ tsp salt · ½ tsp soy sauce · ¼ tsp sesame oil

5. 5

   Step 5: Transfer the dressed cucumber pieces to a serving bowl, leaving behind some liquid if the bag contains a lot.

   Uses All the dressed cucumber pieces; excess released liquid may be left behind

6. 6

   Step 6: Top with the optional julienned ginger (1 tsp) and serve immediately in two portions. If preparing ahead, keep the sealed dressed-cucumber bag refrigerated for up to two hours before plating; drain excess released liquid when serving.

   Uses The complete plated salad · 1 tsp julienned ginger, if using