New Zealand has a thriving Chinese community. Many of the first travellers arrived in the country in the 1860s during the gold rush that occurred in the south of the country. These early settlers stayed and have subsequently enriched New Zealand's history, both culturally and culinarily. Chinese flavours and cooking styles have influenced our founders lives from an early age and so easily made their way onto our menus.
This dish is an excellent introduction to a meal or can happily sit alongside a piece of steamed fish and wok-fried greens. It is earthy, salty, sweet, hot and refreshingly cooling all at once.
Serves 6 (as a snack, or side dish)
- 6 small baby cucumbers
- 1tbsp fine sea salt
- 180ml basic soy pickle
- 4 tbsp sichuan chilli oil
- Black sesame seeds, to serve
- Small handful of chopped coriander, to serve
- Flaky sea salt, to serve
- 2 spring onions, finely chopped (optional)
Recipe
- Cut the cucumbers in half lengthways and then again into thick slices. Use the palm of your hand or the back of a knife to gently smash them. Place the cucumbers in a bowl and sprinkle the fine sea salt over them. Mix through and set aside for twenty minutes.
- Pour the cucumbers into a colander or sieve to drain off any excess moisture and then rinse off the salt under cold running water. Return the cucumbers to the bowl, pour over the basic soy pickle and set aside. This should be done the day before, or at least 3 hours ahead.
- In a small bowl whisk together all the ingredients for the sesame soy dressing and set aside.
- When you are ready to serve, remove the cucumbers from the soy pickle and strain thoroughly.
- Combine the cucumbers and sesame soy dressing in a medium bowl, mixing to ensure the cucumbers are covered. Transfer to a small serving bowl and spoon over the Sichuan chilli oil, making sure you get some of the chilli flakes in as well. Sprinkle with black sesame seeds, coriander leaves, sea salt and the spring onions, if using, and serve.
