Spicy Korean Cucumber Salad
From: Ian Seddon's Cookbook
🥘 Ingredients
- cucumbers Persian, Japanese, Korean, or English cucumbers 24 oz
- kosher salt 1 tsp
- large shallot 1
- scallions 2
- white sesame seeds 1 tbsp
- gochujang 2 tbsp
- gochugaru ½ tbsp
- toasted sesame oil 1 ½ tbsp
- soy sauce or tamari 1 tbsp
- rice vinegar 1 tbsp
- agave nectar or organic cane sugar 2 tsp
- garlic cloves 3
To toast raw sesame seeds, heat a skillet over medium heat. Once the pan is hot, add the sesame seeds and toast, stirring from time to time to prevent burning, until golden brown, 2 to 4 minutes. For moderate heat, use 1 tbsp of gochujang. If you are serving all of the cucumber salad at once, you can skip the step of wringing out the smashed cucumbers. This salad is best served chilled. It should be pretty chilled from the cucumbers resting in the fridge. Storage: You will get the best results if you make this salad within a few hours of serving. That said, if you do need to make the salad ahead of time, the flavor is still great. Storage: The salad still stays crunchy for 2 to 3 days in the fridge, but keep in mind, the cucumbers will continue to release water. Don’t worry though—the resulting “sauce” is delicious and flavorful, and I like to drizzle it over rice or noodles. If you have extra scallions, I’d slice a fresh scallion or two for more freshness. Nutrition boost: For a protein boost, top with cubed pre-baked tofu or defrosted edamame. Serve with cooked brown/white rice or noodles to make it a full meal.
-
1For the salad: cucumbers Persian, Japanese, Korean, or English cucumbers , kosher salt , large shallot , scallions , white sesame seeds . For the dressing: gochujang , gochugaru , toasted sesame oil , soy sauce or tamari , rice vinegar , agave nectar or organic cane sugar , garlic cloves .
-
2Smash the cucumbers. Wash and dry the cucumbers and slice off the ends. Slice in half lengthwise. Grab your largest, heaviest knife (if you have a cleaver knife, use it) and smash the cukes by pressing the flat side of a heavy knife against them, using the heel of your palm (right above your wrist) to press down, similar to smashing down on a garlic clove to peel it. NOTE: If using large cucumbers like English cucumbers, it's hard to smash them whole. First, chop the cucumbers into 2- to 3-inch ( timer to 8 cm) segments, then smash them.
-
3Salt the cucumbers. Tear the smashed cukes into bite-sized chunks and transfer to a colander fitted over a bowl or in the sink. Sprinkle the cucumbers with 1 tsp kosher salt and use your hands to toss until well coated. Place a resealable bag filled with ice and cold water (or a bag of frozen peas) on top of the cucumbers to weigh them down—this forces more water out. Rest in the fridge for at least 30 minutes, or up to 4 hours. Discard accumulated water and shake off excess water from the cucumbers.
-
4Meanwhile, thinly slice the shallot. Slice the scallions on a hard bias, separating the dark greens for the garnish.
-
5Meanwhile, make the Dressing. In a large bowl, whisk together the gochujang, gochugaru, sesame oil, soy sauce, rice vinegar, sugar, and garlic until well combined.
-
6After the cucumbers have rested, squeeze a handful of them until no water is dripping out, like you would a washcloth. Repeat with the remaining cucumbers. Alternatively, you can run the cucumbers in a salad spinner afterwards (see Note 3).
-
7Assemble. Add the cucumbers, scallion whites/light greens, and shallots to the dressing. Use your hands to massage the Dressing into the cukes for about a minute. Before serving, add the sesame seeds and scallion greens, and toss gently (see Note 4).