Smashed cucumber salad

Serves 2-4

In Hong Kong and on the mainland, a plate of refreshing smashed cucumbers is considered the perfect summer dish. A Chinese technique, smashing or bruising a cucumber cracks the skin and releases the seeds, leaving the flesh in gorgeous jagged pieces. The cucumber is salted to draw out the moisture and concentrate the flavour, and a simple dressing creates a salad in minutes. This is a much-loved salad and every Chinese family has variations of the dish. Some add ground Sichuan peppercorns, others add sesame paste. My mother loved to include chopped dried shrimps. Once you’ve got the smashing technique right, by all means experiment; just don’t whack the cucumber to smithereens. A note of caution: like cider vinegar, Chinese rice vinegars vary in sharpness – adjust the quantity to suit your palate.

1 large cucumber or 2 Lebanese cucumbers (about 300 g/10½ oz)

1 handful of chopped coriander (cilantro), to garnish

DRESSING

2 teaspoons finely chopped pickled chillies

2 small garlic cloves, finely chopped

3 tablespoons clear rice vinegar, or to taste

Pinch of sugar

1 tablespoon chilli oil, or to taste

1 teaspoon sesame oil

Place the cucumber on a chopping board and whack it gently with a cleaver a few times until it splinters and opens up with jagged edges. Cut it into bite-sized pieces and place in a bowl. Sprinkle with ½ teaspoon salt and set aside for 15–20 minutes. Drain off the liquid and place the cucumber in a bowl.

To make the dressing, put the chillies, garlic, vinegar, sugar and a pinch of salt in a small bowl. Stir in the chilli oil and sesame oil. Pour the dressing over the cucumber and garnish with coriander.