Chinese Smacked Cucumber Salad

Ingredients

• 2 English cucumbers or 6 Persian cucumbers
• Hide ingredients for 1 tablespoon chili oil or Spicy Chinese Chile Crisp 1 1 tablespoon chili oil or Spicy Chinese Chile Crisp (opens in new tab) 1 tablespoon chili oil or Spicy Chinese Chile Crisp
  • 1 cup vegetable oil
  • 6 ounces shallots (3 to 4 large), thinly sliced
  • 5 large garlic cloves, thinly sliced
  • 1 ¼ ounces dried red chiles (such as árbol), toasted, stemmed, seeded, and broken into pieces (or ½ cup red pepper flakes)
  • ¼ cup roasted peanuts or soy nuts
  • 2 tablespoons fermented black beans
  • (2 tablespoons Sichuan chili bean paste)
  • (2 tablespoons chopped dried shrimp or anchovies)
  • 1 ½ teaspoons ground Sichuan peppercorns
  • 1 teaspoon salt, MSG, or mushroom seasoning
  • ½ teaspoon sugar

  Sub-recipe steps

  1. Combine in a large saucepan: 1 cup vegetable oil; 6 ounces shallots (3 to 4 large), thinly sliced; 5 large garlic cloves, thinly sliced; 1 ¼ ounces dried red chiles (such as árbol), toasted, stemmed, seeded, and broken into pieces (or ½ cup red pepper flakes); ¼ cup roasted peanuts or soy nuts; 2 tablespoons fermented black beans; (2 tablespoons Sichuan chili bean paste); (2 tablespoons chopped dried shrimp or anchovies)
  2. Heat over medium heat until just beginning to simmer, then reduce the heat to maintain a lazy bubble. Cook until the shallots have softened and shrunk and the whole mixture has darkened somewhat and become very fragrant, 20 to 25 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and let cool for 10 minutes. Stir in: 1 ½ teaspoons ground Sichuan peppercorns; 1 teaspoon salt, MSG, or mushroom seasoning; ½ teaspoon sugar
  3. Once cool, transfer the mixture to a food processor and pulse until ground into a chunky paste (about 3 long pulses). Transfer to a glass jar or container. Store refrigerated.
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon Chinese black vinegar or rice vinegar
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• (½ teaspoon ground Sichuan pepper)
• ¼ teaspoon salt