Salade de concombre écrasé chinoise
Concombre écrasé et croquant, mariné à l'ail, au vinaigre et à l'huile pimentée.
Portions
Ingrédients
Nutrition
Par portion
Étapes
Smack and cut
Lay the cucumbers on a cutting board and smack them firmly with the flat side of a cleaver or a rolling pin until they crack and split along their length — this breaks the fibers so the dressing soaks in instead of just coating the surface. Cut away any very wet, seedy core, then chop into rough, bite-sized chunks on an angle.
- 600 g cucumbers
✅ C'est prêt quand : the cucumbers are cracked open with jagged, irregular edges, not smooth cut slices
Salt and drain
Toss the cucumber chunks with the salt in a colander set over a bowl and let them sit for 15 minutes. This pulls out excess water so the salad stays crunchy instead of watery once dressed. Pat the pieces dry with a clean towel before mixing with the dressing.
- 1 tsp salt
✅ C'est prêt quand : a pool of water has collected at the bottom and the cucumber feels slightly firmer
Make the dressing
In a small bowl, whisk together the garlic, soy sauce, black vinegar, sugar, chili oil and sesame oil until the sugar dissolves. Taste it on its own: it should be punchy, garlicky, a little sweet-sour, with gentle heat, since it will mellow once mixed with the cucumber.
- 4 cloves garlic
- 2 tbsp light soy sauce
- 1.5 tbsp black vinegar
- 1 tbsp sugar
- 2 tbsp chili oil
- 1 tsp sesame oil
✅ C'est prêt quand : the sugar has dissolved and the dressing tastes balanced and bold
Toss and chill
Pour the dressing over the drained cucumbers and toss well so every piece is coated. Cover and refrigerate for at least 15 minutes before serving; the cold rest firms up the crunch and lets the garlic and chili flavor settle into the cracks.
- 600 g cucumbers (from step 2)
✅ C'est prêt quand : the cucumbers are glossy with dressing and chilled through
Finish and serve
Taste and add a pinch more salt if needed, then scatter over the sesame seeds and cilantro just before bringing the salad to the table. Serve very cold, ideally with the dressing still pooling at the bottom of the bowl.
- 1 tsp sesame seeds
- 2 tbsp cilantro
- to taste pinch of salt
Smack and cut
Lay the cucumbers on a cutting board and smack them firmly with the flat side of a cleaver or a rolling pin until they crack and split along their length — this breaks the fibers so the dressing soaks in instead of just coating the surface. Cut away any very wet, seedy core, then chop into rough, bite-sized chunks on an angle.
- 600 g cucumbers
✅ C'est prêt quand : the cucumbers are cracked open with jagged, irregular edges, not smooth cut slices
Salt and drain
Toss the cucumber chunks with the salt in a colander set over a bowl and let them sit for 15 minutes. This pulls out excess water so the salad stays crunchy instead of watery once dressed. Pat the pieces dry with a clean towel before mixing with the dressing.
- 1 tsp salt
✅ C'est prêt quand : a pool of water has collected at the bottom and the cucumber feels slightly firmer
Make the dressing
In a small bowl, whisk together the garlic, soy sauce, black vinegar, sugar, chili oil and sesame oil until the sugar dissolves. Taste it on its own: it should be punchy, garlicky, a little sweet-sour, with gentle heat, since it will mellow once mixed with the cucumber.
- 4 cloves garlic
- 2 tbsp light soy sauce
- 1.5 tbsp black vinegar
- 1 tbsp sugar
- 2 tbsp chili oil
- 1 tsp sesame oil
✅ C'est prêt quand : the sugar has dissolved and the dressing tastes balanced and bold
Toss and chill
Pour the dressing over the drained cucumbers and toss well so every piece is coated. Cover and refrigerate for at least 15 minutes before serving; the cold rest firms up the crunch and lets the garlic and chili flavor settle into the cracks.
- 600 g cucumbers (from step 2)
✅ C'est prêt quand : the cucumbers are glossy with dressing and chilled through
Finish and serve
Taste and add a pinch more salt if needed, then scatter over the sesame seeds and cilantro just before bringing the salad to the table. Serve very cold, ideally with the dressing still pooling at the bottom of the bowl.
- 1 tsp sesame seeds
- 2 tbsp cilantro
- to taste pinch of salt
The Story Behind the Dish
Smacked cucumber is one of China's classic "liang cai," or cold starter dishes, meant to wake up the appetite before a meal of richer, hotter food. The smacking technique is old peasant kitchen wisdom: breaking the cucumber with force instead of slicing it neatly exposes more surface and tiny cracks, so a simple dressing of garlic, vinegar and chili oil clings and seeps in far better.
Every region has its own version — some lean sweeter, some lean on Sichuan-style chili oil for real heat — but the dish is a fixture on home tables and restaurant menus across the country, often the first thing to arrive before the main dishes.
⭐ Why It's Famous
It delivers maximum crunch and flavor from almost no cooking, making it one of the most loved cold dishes in Chinese cuisine and a staple on restaurant menus worldwide.
💡 Fun Fact
The smacking isn't just for show: breaking the cucumber's cell walls by force, rather than slicing cleanly, lets the dressing penetrate far deeper than it could through a smooth cut surface.
Northern China, especially Beijing and Shandong
39.90°N, 116.41°E
Recettes similaires
Comments (0)
No comments yet. Be the first to share your thoughts!