Chinese Gossip – Cucumber

Ingredients for 2 servings:

• 1 cucumber(s)
• 1 tsp, leveled salt
• 1 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
• 4 garlic cloves, peeled
• 2 chili peppers, dried
• 4 tbsp vegetable oil

Instructions

Working time approx. 30 minutes; Total time approx. 30 minutes

typical Chinese street food

Wash the cucumber thoroughly and then mash it with a wide knife (using the flat side!). Be as careful as possible to avoid spilling any juice. When the cucumber skin is “broken” in most places, cut off both ends. Halve the cucumber lengthwise and cut into thick strips. Place the cucumber pieces in a bowl and season with a teaspoon of salt (not too much). Heat 2-3 tablespoons (don’t be sparing) of vegetable oil in a pan, then crumble the chili peppers and add them to the hot oil. Fry briefly (do not let them blacken!) and then let the pan and oil cool. Let the bowl with the cucumber sit for a while until it has lost a lot of its liquid due to the salt. Discard the cucumber water from the bowl. Flatten the garlic cloves with a wide knife and then chop them into small pieces. Just before serving, move on to the final step: As soon as the oil has cooled completely, add the garlic, a little soy sauce, balsamic vinegar and the oil, along with the chili crumbs, to the cucumbers and mix everything well.