Dish · chinese
Smashed Cucumber Salad
Cucumber cracked open with the flat of a knife or a rolling pin, dressed with garlic, black vinegar, sesame oil, and chili oil.
Where it comes from
Smashing rather than slicing the cucumber is a Sichuan technique: the ragged, cracked surfaces absorb the dressing far better than a clean cut would, a practical method rather than a cosmetic one.
What cooks argue about
Cooks argue over salting and draining the cucumber first to remove excess water for a concentrated dressing, versus dressing it straight after smashing, which dilutes the sauce as it sits.
Nobody has published a smashed cucumber salad recipe yet. The page stays out of search until one exists, which is the rule for every thin page here.