[Japanese Recipes] Smashed Cucumbers with Sesame Sauce

Smashed Cucumbers with Sesame Sauce is often treated as an accessory vegetable; tossed into salad or sliced for sandwiches to add crunch. Cucumbers that have swelled from daily diligent watering: juicy and sweet; the true treats of the summer season.

However, this veggie truly shines once a year when fresh cucumbers start to appear in the garden.  I remember as a child growing up with hot Japanese summers, soaking cucumbers in icy cold water, breaking a whole cucumber in half and dipping it into a bowl of mugi miso (barley miso) or umeboshi (pickled plum) dip, and devouring it all as a healthy, refreshing afternoon snack. But my favourite way to eat this underrated vegetable has always been with this sesame sauce. Enjoy!

Smashed Cucumbers with Sesame Sauce

Serves 2

Ingredients

2 large freshly harvested cucumbers
Sea salt
2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds, ground
2 tablespoons brown or natural cane sugar
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon soy sauce
2 ½ tablespoons tahini
2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
2 Thai chili peppers, dry or fresh, seeds removed and sliced thinly (optional)

Instruction

Rub cucumbers under running water and remove prickly thorns if any exists. Pat dry.

Sprinkle some salt on the cucumbers and rub by pressing hard against a clean working surface, rolling until soft.

Let sit for 5 minutes so that the moisture drains from the inside.

Smash with a rolling pin into bite size pieces, and transfer to a colander that is fitted in a bowl that catches excess moisture. Let drain completely for about 20 minutes or longer, then cover in the refrigerator.

In the meantime, make sauce. Combine well the sesame seeds, sugar, vinegar, soy, tahini, sesame oil and peppers in a small bowl.

Transfer the cucumbers to a serving plate, drizzle 3 tablespoons (or more) of the sauce over top and serve immediately. You can store the rest of the sauce in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to about 3 weeks.

This recipe and image sources are referred in website: Goboroot.com. Thanks so much!