At Your Table Winning Recipe

Spicy Chinese Cucumbers

I recommend that these cucumbers marinate overnight, but my wife loves this recipe so much she usually doesn’t wait.

Ingredients
1 lb medium cucumbers or Kirby cucumbers
1 tsp salt
½ tsp sugar
5 slices ginger root (mashed with the side of a knife)
½ tsp ground ginger
1 cayenne or Thai pepper, finely shredded
4 whole dried cayenne peppers
½ cup sesame oil
1½ tsp peppercorns
3 Tbsp red wine or rice vinegar
2 Tbsp sugar
1½ tsp soy sauce

Preparation
Quarter the cucumbers lengthwise, scoop out the seeds, and place them cut side up in a shallow dish just large enough to hold them in one layer. Sprinkle the cucumbers with the tsp of salt and ½ tsp of sugar. Set aside for 20 minutes.

Rinse the cucumbers in cold water and, using a tea towel, squeeze out the liquid.

Cut the cucumber quarters into ½" - ¾” lengths. Return the cucumbers to the shallow dish and sprinkle the ground ginger and shredded pepper over them.

In a small bowl, mix together the vinegar, sugar, and soy sauce.

Heat a wok or skillet on very high with 1 tsp. of the sesame oil. Add the dried red peppers and cook for a few seconds until they begin to darken. Add the peppers and the peppercorns to the vinegar mixture. Stir and pour over the cucumbers. Toss, cover tightly, and marinate overnight.

Dale Koenig
Raytown, MO