A refreshing and delicious side dish!
I first tasted this dish years ago at a hole-in-the wall Asian-fusion restaurant and asked the chef if he would share the recipe. He did, but only in the vaguest of terms so it’s taken a lot of tinkering to get the quantities just right. We love these crunchy, flavourful cucumbers with all sorts of Asian fare, including dumplings, noodle dishes and more. If using the smaller Persian (sometimes called Lebanese) cucumbers, you’ll need about 5-6. If you’re not familiar with furikake, it’s a tasty and versatile Japanese seasoning blend typically made of toasted sesame seeds, chopped dried seaweed, salt, sugar, and dried fish flakes. If you enjoy this recipe you might also like these tasty quick pickled cucumbers with dill and coriander.
Ingredients
- 1 pound (454 g) Persian (or English) cucumber
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 teaspoons finely minced garlic (about 3 cloves)
- 1/4 cup (60 mL) seasoned or regular rice vinegar
- 2 tablespoons (30 mL) mirin
- 2 tablespoons (25 g) granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons (10 mL) toasted sesame oil
- 1 to 2 teaspoons furikake and/or chili crisp (optional)
Method
- Trim the stem and blossom ends off the cucumbers and cut on the diagonal into slices about 1/3 inch (.75 cm) thick. Place the slices in a colander set over a plate; sprinkle with the kosher salt and toss with your hands to combine. Let sit for 20 minutes, to allow the cucumbers to release some moisture.
- While cucumbers rest, make the marinade. Place the minced garlic, rice vinegar, mirin, sugar and sesame oil in a small jar with a tight-fitting lid. Shake until well blended and sugar has dissolved.
- When the cucumbers have completed their resting time, rinse them in the colander under cold running water. Shake gently to remove excess moisture then transfer to a clean kitchen towel (or paper towel) and pat dry.
- Place the cucumbers in a large zipper close food storage bag and add the marinade. Seal the bag and place in the fridge, laying it flat so the cucumbers are mostly in a single layer in the marinade. Let sit for 2-20 hours, flipping the bag once or twice during the marinating time.
- To serve, transfer the cucumbers from the marinade into a clean serving bowl. Garnish with furikake and/or chili crisp (if using).
Serves 4 as a side dish.
