Smashed Cucumber with Chili Garlic and Black Vinegar

Smashed Cucumber with Chili Garlic and Black Vinegar

A cold, crunchy starter that wakes up the whole meal: sour, salty, garlicky and a little numbing-hot, all in one bite. It takes almost no cooking and is the kind of dish you will make again the next evening. Smashing the cucumber, rather than slicing it neatly, gives it ragged edges that hold the dressing.

You need

• 2 English cucumbers (about 1 pound / 450 g total)
• 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
• 3 cloves garlic, finely grated
• 2 tablespoons Chinkiang black vinegar
• 1 tablespoon light soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1 tablespoon chili oil, with its sediment
• 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
• 1/2 teaspoon ground Sichuan peppercorn, toasted and cooled
• 2 scallions, thinly sliced

Method

1. Lay each cucumber on a board and whack it once with the flat of a cleaver or a heavy rolling pin, until it cracks along its length. Tear it into bite-sized chunks with your hands; you want rough, uneven pieces.
2. Put the chunks in a colander, toss with the salt, and set over a bowl for 15 minutes. Drain well and pat dry. The cucumber should look a little glossy and feel firmer, not wet.
3. In a bowl, stir together the garlic, black vinegar, soy sauce and sugar until the sugar dissolves, about 30 seconds.
4. Add the cucumber, chili oil, sesame oil and Sichuan pepper. Toss well and let sit 5 minutes so the flavors soak in.
5. Scatter with scallions and serve cold or at room temperature. Taste before serving; add a splash more vinegar if it tastes flat.