As the pandemic continues, many of us have pent-up energy that we need to release. Whacking a cucumber is one way to let loose. The bonus is a cooling, crunchy salad that’ll fill you up without weighing you down.
Smashing a cucumber is a Chinese culinary technique. By cracking open the skin, the flesh splits into jagged pieces whose rough surfaces absorb flavors and support a dressing better than when cut into smooth slices. Cukes for the Sichuan salad pai huang gua are given the smash treatment, then salted to release excess water and, finally, dressed with a vinaigrette of soy sauce, rice or black vinegar, garlic, sesame oil and, sometimes, dried chiles and Sichuan peppercorns.
Thin-skinned, seedless cucumbers are preferred here. (I found Georgia-grown greenhouse cucumbers at Publix.) The skin breaks easily, and you don’t have to bother about removing the seeds after you’ve completed the whack job.
Credit: Ligaya Figueras
Credit: Ligaya Figueras
Which device is right for smashing? Some chefs use a knife, placing the blade flat on top of the cucumber, then forcibly pressing down on the blade using the heel of the other hand (similar to smashing a garlic clove). A rolling pin also works well, and so do a meat tenderizer or a rubber or wooden mallet. Even a big can of tomato sauce turned on its side can be used. Whatever tool you choose, enjoy the stress relief, but don’t oversmash. You want to flatten and split open the cucumber, not turn it into mush.
English cucumbers often are sold wrapped in plastic. Keep the plastic on while you smash, so that cucumber innards don’t go flying everywhere. If your cukes are not sold that way, wrap each in plastic or put them in a zip-top bag before you bang on them.
Once you’ve tossed the cucumber chunks in salt and sugar, let them rest for 30 minutes. An hour is even better, to coax out water and impart more flavor into the vegetable.
When it’s time to mix everything together, shredded carrot will add some color. Cilantro adds bright freshness. After you add the vinaigrette, taste and tweak to your liking. I slicked one batch with a drizzle of chili oil and served it as a side with grilled meat and steamed rice. Eating it was almost as satisfying as smashing cucumbers.
Credit: Ligaya Figueras
Credit: Ligaya Figueras
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