Smashed Cucumber Salad with Salted Peanuts & Wasabi Peas
February 3, 2021
Taken from Smitten Kitchen Every Day by Deb Perelman.
Ingredients
2 large seedless cucumbers (a little shy of 2 pounds or 1 kilogram)
1 t kosher salt, plus more to taste
2 T plus 1 t (5 ml) sake
1 T (15 ml) rice vinegar
2 t (10 ml) toasted sesame oil
Hot pepper flakes, to taste
2 T (20 grams) salted peanuts, crushed or coarsely chopped
2 T (15 grams) wasabi peas, crushed coarsely chopped
Directions
1Cut the cucumbers in half crosswise, then split lengthwise. Put on an apron and, on a solid work surface, lay the cucumbers cut side down and whack them firmly with flat side of a meat pounder or the bottom of a cast-iron skillet until the skin has torn and the seeds largely separate. Use your hands to swipe out any loose or lingering seeds, then tear or chop the cucumbers into rough 1 to 2 inch pieces. Toss in a bowl with 1 t salt and 2 T sake, then let sit in a colander set over a bowl for 10 to 15 minutes at room temperature, or up to a few hours in the fridge.
2Discard the liquid in the bowl, wipe it out, and drop the cucumbers back into it. Pour in the rice vinegar, sesame oil, last t of sake, and salt and hot pepper flakes to taste. Scatter generously with crushed peanuts and wasabi peas, and eat immediately.
