Spicy Smashed Cucumbers With Lime Honey And Croutons Recipes

SMACKED CUCUMBER 'QUICK KIMCHI'

Steps:

• On a large cutting board, position your chef's knife on its side and press the heel of the blade to crush each cucumber piece until it cracks in the center, splits in half or splinters completely into pieces. (The variety in textures is a delight.) In a medium bowl, toss the cucumbers with the salt, transfer to a colander, and let sit in the sink to drain, about 30 minutes. Meanwhile, in the same bowl, add the vinegar and garlic and set aside.
• After 30 minutes, add the sesame oil, gochugaru, fish sauce and sugar to the bowl with the vinegar and garlic, and whisk to combine. Use a paper or cloth kitchen towel to pat the cucumbers dry, then add the cucumbers to the dressing and toss until well coated.
• Garnish with the optional herbs before serving. This is best eaten right away, but can be refrigerated for up to 24 hours.

SMASHED CUCUMBERS WITH CUMIN TAHINI

Steps:

• Rinse cucumbers and pat dry. Cut crosswise into pieces about 4 inches long. Cut each piece in half lengthwise.
• On a work surface, place a piece of cucumber (or several) cut side down. Lay the blade of a large knife flat on top the cucumber and smash down lightly with your other hand. The skin will begin to crack, the flesh will break down and the seeds will separate. Repeat until the whole piece is smashed. Break or slice diagonally into bite-size pieces, leaving the seeds behind.
• Place the cucumber pieces in a strainer and toss with a big pinch of salt and a big pinch of sugar. Place a plastic bag filled with ice on top of the cucumbers to serve as a weight and place the strainer over a bowl. Let drain 15 to 30 minutes on the counter, or in the refrigerator until ready to serve, up to 4 hours.
• Make the dressing: In a blender or small food processor, combine lime juice and garlic and blend. Add tahini and 2 tablespoons warm water and blend. Check the texture; you want a smooth, creamy liquid. If necessary, add more warm water and blend again. Add olive oil, 1/2 teaspoon salt, the cumin and the oregano, rubbing the dried leaves between your fingers to release the flavors. Taste for salt and adjust the seasonings.
• Make the chile vinegar, if desired: Place sambal in a bowl and slowly drizzle in white vinegar, stirring to loosen. Taste often and stop adding vinegar when mixture is tart and spicy, but not enough to make your eyes water.
• When ready to serve, shake cucumbers well to drain off any remaining liquid and transfer to a bowl. Drizzle lightly with olive oil and toss. Add half the dressing, toss and taste. Keep adding dressing until cucumbers are well coated but not drowned.
• Serve immediately. For each serving, scoop a large spoonful of cucumbers into a bowl, spoon a little chile vinegar around the edges and sprinkle with sesame seeds.

SPICY SMASHED CUCUMBERS WITH LIME, HONEY AND CROUTONS

Steps:

• Rinse cucumbers and pat dry. Cut crosswise into pieces about 4 inches long. Cut each piece in half lengthwise.
• On a work surface, place a piece of cucumber (or several) cut side down. Lay the blade of a large knife flat on top the cucumber and smash down lightly with your other hand. The skin will begin to crack, the flesh will break down and the seeds will separate. Repeat until the whole piece is smashed. Break or slice diagonally into bite-size pieces, leaving the seeds behind.
• Place the cucumber pieces in a strainer and toss with a big pinch of salt and a big pinch of sugar. Place a plastic bag filled with ice on top of the cucumbers to serve as a weight and place the strainer over a bowl. Let drain 15 to 30 minutes on the counter, or in the refrigerator until ready to serve, up to 4 hours.
• Make the dressing: In a bowl, mix yogurt, lime zest and juice, vinegar, oil, 1/2 teaspoon salt and the pepper. This mixture should taste fiercely acidic and quite salty; add salt and vinegar as needed. Keep refrigerated.
• If making the spicy honey, combine hot sauce and honey in a small bowl and stir well until smooth.
• If making the croutons, toast the breadstick pieces in a toaster oven or skillet. Drizzle with olive oil and stir occasionally, until golden and crunchy.
• When ready to serve, shake cucumbers well to drain off any remaining liquid and transfer to a bowl. Drizzle lightly with olive oil and toss. Add scallions and half of the dressing and toss gently. Keep adding dressing until cucumbers are well coated but not drowned.
• Serve immediately. For each serving, scoop a large spoonful of cucumbers into a bowl, drizzle with spicy honey and sprinkle with a handful of croutons.