Saturday, April 12, 2014

Stir Fried Smacked Cucumber (拍黄瓜)


This is another great cold dish. I have been taken in by all of the Chinese cold dishes every since the first meal I had where they were offered. I find that sometime when a dish is served too hot, or too cold that it tends to mask the true flavors that are there. This is a nice refreshing summer dish as well.


Ingredients: 


1 cucumber


1/8 tsp salt


4 Tbs sesame oil


3 chopped garlic cloves


3 Tbsp of whole peanuts


10 numbing peppers


1Tbs Chinking vinegar


1 tsp sugar


1/4 red bell pepper julienned


Instructions:

1. Cut the cucumber into quarters, and remove the center.

2. Place the cucumber skin side up on a cutting board, crush/smack slightly with the back of a knife.

3. Rub the inside of the cucumber with salt, and let it rest for 10 minutes.

4. In a wok heat the sesame oil, garlic peanuts, and numbing peppers. Cook until fragrant.

5. Toss the cucumbers, and bell peppers into the wok, and stir fry for 3 minutes.

6. Add the vinegar, and sugar to the wok, and toss for another 2 minutes.

7. Plate and serve at room temperature, or chilled.




Cooks Helpful Hints:


The texture of the cucumber is soft on the inner side, but still retains a bit of crunch on the outside.

More salt added during stir frying, or a small amount of chicken bouillon granules, brings out more flavor.

The salt rubbed on the cucumber before stir frying takes away the bitter cucumber taste.

Enjoy!

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