カニ、キュウリ、わかめのサラダ

Crab, Cucumber and Wakame Salad

This simple salad is made up of only three ingredients, making it a great option for a starter if you’re short on time. The dressing is the key to this salad—make extra and store it in an airtight bottle in the fridge to use again in other dishes.

SERVES 4 AS A STARTER

2 Lebanese (short) cucumbers

2 tablespoons dried wakame pieces

150 g (5½ oz) fresh, cooked crabmeat, picked over (or good-quality tinned crabmeat)

DRESSING

2 tablespoons Japanese rice vinegar

2 tablespoons dashi II (here)

1 tablespoon Japanese soy sauce

2 teaspoons mirin

1½ teaspoons ginger juice (here)

Dissolve 2 teaspoons of salt in 500 ml (17 fl oz/ 2 cups) cold water. Cut the cucumbers in half lengthways, scoop out the seeds, then slice the flesh very thinly. Put the cucumber flesh in the cold water and soak for 10 minutes. Drain well and gently squeeze out any excess moisture. Keep in the refrigerator until needed.

Soak the wakame in a bowl of cold water for 5 minutes, or until rehydrated and glossy but not mushy. Drain well, then refrigerate until needed.

Make the dressing by combining the rice vinegar, dashi, soy sauce and mirin in a small saucepan and bring to the boil over high heat. Remove from the heat and cool to room temperature. Add the ginger juice to the dressing and stir well. Allow to cool completely. Refrigerate for 15 minutes until cold.

Neatly arrange the cucumber, wakame and crabmeat into four small serving dishes, then carefully pour the dressing over the top.