Culinary Escapade

I bought some cucumbers the other day and wanted to do something other than a Greek salad with them. I love cucumbers, they are cool and refreshing to eat.

When I was a kid my mum used to slice up cucumbers from her garden and toss them with some salt, sugar and vinegar. I would sit on the steps leading to our backyard and polish off a bowl to myself. She does not like spicy foods – in fact she is convinced that hot peppers are the reason for my various health problems, so she never put any chillis into her cucumber salad. Now that I have control over my own kitchen, I added the hot stuff to this salad.

Unfortunately, the cucumbers I used were not fresh out of my parents’ garden, but they were good nonetheless. Make sure you choose the absolute freshest ones you can find. Go to the farmers’ market if you can.

You can substitute the sichuan peppercorns with red pepper flakes if you don’t like the numbing effect the peppercorns have. Or you can do half and half, which is what I did.

This salad can be had at room temperature or served cold. I recommend cold. It is much more refreshing that way, especially on a warm summer day.

Sichuan Cucumber Salad

2 medium-sized cucumbers, peeled and pitted
1 tsp salt
1 tbsp cooking oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp Sichuan peppercorns, ground or red chilli pepper flakes
2 tbsp rice vinegar
2 tsp sesame oil
1 tbsp sugar
2 tsp chilli garlic paste (use less if you don’t like it hot)

Method:

- Slice the cucumber in half lengthwise and halve it lengthwise again. Use a spoon to scoop out the seeds.

- Cube the strips into 1-inch pieces. Toss the cucumbers in a bowl with the salt. Set aside 10 minutes to allow the salt to draw out moisture from the cucumbers.

- Heat a small pan on medium-low heat. Add cooking oil and cook the garlic and Sichuan peppercorns until fragrant. Be careful not to burn the garlic, if you do, toss it and start over. Set aside to cool.

- Drain cucumbers and return them to the bowl. In a separate bowl, mix the rice vinegar, sesame oil, sugar, and chili garlic paste. Pour the dressing over the cucumbers and add the garlic mixture. Mix well.

- Serve at room temperature or chill in the refrigerator to serve cold. It is best to allow it rest at least a half hour before serving to allow the flavors to blend and to eat it within a day.