Smacked Cucumber in Garlicky Sauce. 蒜米爆黄瓜
Sounds oddly cruel to smack a cucumber a few times before slicing it into a dozen pieces, but give it a try. It’s a method in Chinese cooking to bruise the veggie to soften it up, allowing it to mix well with the sauce.
This recipe for Smacked Cucumber in Garlicky Sauce – a Sichuanese appetizer commonly found in Chinese restaurants – was brought to our attention by Jean J., one of our most creative customers in the kitchen.
With her usual contagious excitement – and possibly surrounded at the time by one too many cucumbers from the garden ready to be smacked – Jean left us this message:
“Season with Spice to the rescue tonight! I was craving a recipe that asked for chili oil (Fuchsia Dunlop’s, Smacked Cucumbers in Garlicky Sauce). I lined up all my Season with Spice bottles and began to play. I used a dozen Chili Threads and a generous pinch of ground Bird’s Eye Chili powder. Perfect ~ Delicious ~ I may not ever make the recipe as originally written! :)”
Thanks for the recipe idea, Jean! Love the modifications you made to spice up the dish with Bird’s Eye Chili Powder, and how you added more flavor and color with a garnish of Chili Threads.
We enjoyed this version of Smacked Cucumber in Garlicky Sauce appetizer last night before our dinner of Taiwanese Minced Meat Noodles. Such a refreshing, incredibly flavorful side dish before the main meal.
Smacked Cucumber In Garlicky Sauce (Suan Mi Pau Huang Gua)
Ingredients
- 1 cucumber
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 tbsp finely chopped garlic
- 1/2 tsp sugar
- 2 tsp light soy sauce
- 1/2 tsp Chinkiang black vinegar also known as Chinese black vinegar 镇江香醋
- 2 tbsp olive oil any neutral flavored oil such as sunflower oil or grape seed oil works well too
- Generous pinches of Season with Spice’s Bird’s Eye Chili Powder
- A pinch or two of Season with Spice’s Ground Sichuan Pepper
- 2 tsp toasted sesame oil
- Pinches of Season with Spice’s Sichuan Pepper Sea Salt optional
- A dozen of Season with Spice’s Chili Threads
Instructions
- Place a cucumber on a chopping board and smack it with the flat blade of a cleaver or with a rolling pin. Smack both sides of the cucumber to soften, and lightly break the flesh.
- After the cucumber has been bruised, roughly chop it into bite-sized pieces.
- Transfer the pieces into a bowl, and mix it with the salt. Set aside.
- In another bowl, combine all the ingredients (except the last two) to make the sauce.
- Drain out the excess water from the cucumber bowl, and then pour the sauce over the cucumber pieces.
- Stir well to combine. You can serve it immediately, or let it stand for 15-20 minutes to better absorb the flavor of the sauce. When ready to serve, lightly sprinkle the cucumber salad with our Sichuan Pepper Sea Salt and garnish with Chili Threads.