Japanese cuisine · Salads & Mezze

Kyuri no Kyuchan Zuke

Cucumber slices are boiled repeatedly in a soy broth and cooled, which keeps them crunchy while fully seasoned.

Ingredients · for 4 servings

• 1 kg cucumbers
• 150 ml soy sauce
• 80 ml rice vinegar
• 100 g sugar
• 1 piece ginger (5 cm)
• 1 dried red chili
• 1 tbsp sesame seeds
• 1 tsp salt

Instructions

1. Wash the cucumbers, trim the ends and cut into 5 mm thick slices; mix with the salt and let sit for 15 min. to draw out water, then press out firmly.
2. Bring the soy sauce, rice vinegar and sugar to a boil in a wide pot until the sugar has fully dissolved, then add the finely julienned ginger and the deseeded chili.
3. Add the pressed cucumber slices to the boiling broth and let them sit over high heat for exactly 2 min. – any longer and they lose their crunch.
4. Lift the cucumbers out with a slotted spoon, place in a bowl and let the broth continue to reduce, uncovered, for 3 min.
5. Pour the hot broth over the cooled cucumbers and repeat this process twice more: remove the cucumbers, bring the broth back to a boil, pour over again – this way they absorb the flavor without going soft.
6. Let everything cool completely, transfer to a jar with the broth, sprinkle with sesame seeds and chill for at least 4 hrs. before serving with rice.