Back to Sides
Smashed Cucumber
Serves 4 Prep 15 min Total 15 min Type Side Origin Chinese

Smashed Cucumber

Northern China's smashed-cucumber salad: bashed cucumber salted to weep, dressed sharp with soy, vinegar, garlic and chilli oil.

Serves 4 Prep 15 minutes Units Rate

Overview

Cucumbers are placed on a cutting board, the flat of a cleaver (or a heavy rolling pin, or a small frying pan) struck firmly on the surface until the cucumber cracks lengthwise. Hands tear the cracked cucumber into rough 3-4 cm chunks. The pieces salt-rest in a colander 20-30 minutes to release water (this makes the dressing cling instead of dilute). A dressing of light soy, black vinegar (Chinkiang), sugar, sesame oil, crushed garlic and a spoon of chilli oil whisks together. The drained cucumber tosses in the dressing; rests for 30 minutes; eats cold.

Ingredients

Cucumbers

  • 3 cucumbers (small)
  • 1 ½ teaspoons fine salt

Dressing

  • 3 tablespoons light soy sauce
  • 2 tablespoons Chinkiang black vinegar (Chinese black vinegar - sold at Asian shops; substitute balsamic if unavailable)
  • 1 tablespoon caster sugar
  • 1 tablespoon sesame oil
  • 1-2 tablespoons chilli oil (Lao Gan Ma or your preferred brand, with or without crispy bits)
  • 5 garlic cloves (crushed to a paste)
  • 1 teaspoon toasted sesame seeds
  • A pinch of MSG (optional - restaurant standard; can substitute pinch of mushroom seasoning powder)

To finish

  • 1 spring onion (finely sliced)
  • A few sprigs of fresh coriander (chopped)
  • Extra chilli oil (optional drizzle)

Method

Stage 1 - Smash

  1. Place a cucumber on a cutting board.
  2. Peel into strips
  3. Lay the flat side of a heavy cleaver (or rolling pin / small pan) on top.
  4. Strike the cleaver firmly with the heel of your hand to crack the cucumber lengthwise - the skin and flesh split unevenly.
  5. Repeat with remaining cucumbers.

Stage 2 - Tear

  1. With your hands, tear (don't cut) each cracked cucumber into rough 3-4 cm chunks.
  2. Discard the soft watery seedy core if it's large.

Stage 3 - Salt

  1. Place the torn cucumber in a colander set over a bowl.
  2. Sprinkle with the salt; toss with your hand.
  3. Rest 20-30 minutes - the cucumber releases visible water.
  4. Don't rinse. Just press gently and drain.

Stage 4 - Dressing

  1. While the cucumber salts, whisk all the dressing ingredients together in a small bowl.
  2. Taste; adjust soy / vinegar / sugar balance.

Stage 5 - Combine

  1. Tip the drained cucumber into a wide bowl.
  2. Pour the dressing over.
  3. Toss thoroughly - the cucumber should be coated in the dressing, not swimming in it.

Stage 6 - Rest

  1. Cover; refrigerate 30 minutes - the cucumber absorbs the dressing's flavours.

Stage 7 - Serve

  1. Tip onto a serving plate or shallow bowl.
  2. Scatter spring onion and coriander.
  3. Optional: a final drizzle of chilli oil.
  4. Eat cold, alongside any hot, rich, savoury main.

Notes

  • Smashing is the technique: Clean knife slices give clean cucumber that the dressing slides off. Smashed-and-torn cucumber has ragged porous surfaces that drink dressing. This is the entire difference between an ordinary cucumber salad and pai huang gua.
  • Chinkiang black vinegar is specific: It's malty, complex, lower in acidity than rice vinegar. Substitute Balsamic vinegar at a stretch (similar flavour profile, though sweeter); avoid distilled white vinegar (too sharp).
  • Salt first, dress after: Skipping the salt step gives a watery salad - the cucumber weeps into the dressing as it sits, diluting it. The 30-min salt rest sets the dressing concentrated and clinging.

Storage

  • Best within 2 hours of dressing - beyond that the cucumber goes too soft.
  • Refrigerated leftovers keep 24 hours; eat as a refrigerator-quick-pickle (still good, less textured).

More like this

1 / 4
Garlic Bok Choy

Garlic Bok Choy

Small heads of bok choy are halved or quartered lengthwise (keeping each piece together at the base). Sliced garlic fries gently in oil until golden, not brown. The bok choy is blanched briefly (30 seconds) in heavily salted water (the salt fixes the colour); refreshed in cold water; drained well. The blanched bok choy then stir-fries in the garlic oil for 2 minutes; oyster sauce, a pinch of sugar and a splash of stock or water glaze; sesame oil at the end. Plated with the dressing spooned over.

Sides 11 minutes Serves4
Chinese Pickled Cucumber

Chinese Pickled Cucumber

Cucumbers are cut into spears (or smashed-and-torn for a rougher texture), salted heavily in a colander 30 minutes to weep, then patted dry. A brine of rice vinegar, sugar, light soy, water, sliced ginger, Sichuan peppercorns and dried red chillies brings to a gentle simmer just to dissolve the sugar; cools to room temperature. The drained cucumber goes into a jar; the cooled brine pours over to submerge; refrigerated for 1 hour minimum (overnight ideal). Eats cold straight from the jar.

Sides 15 minutes Serves6