Wasabi Cucumber
Marinated cucumbers are always so refreshing to eat! You typically see Korean marinated cucumbers (normally has the kimchi marinade) or you see a Taiwanese version which is with sesame oil and garlic (think of Din Tai Fung). How often do you see cucumbers marinated with wasabi??
My first time was when I went to this Japanese restaurant called Nami Nori in New York. They specialize in open hand rolls which are affordable and tasty (highly recommend trying it out if you haven’t already). Also, they had this Wasabi Cucumber Tataki appetizer and I’m a total fan of wasabi so I had to get it! Took my first bite and fell in love with this dish, it was light, refreshing, and had a little kick of spice.
Went back to SF and I just had to recreate this!
Ingredients:
5-6 mini cucumbers
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup aji mirjin or rice wine vinegar
1 tbsp soy sauce
1/2 tbsp sugar
1/4 tbsp salt (you can use up to 1 tbsp, taste preference)
2-3 cloves grated garlic
1/2 tsp wasabi (you can use up to 2 tsp depending on your spice tolerance)
OPTIONAL 1/2 - 1 tbsp sesame oil
Directions:
Wash your cucumbers and cut both ends.
You can cut your cucumber however you want. To get the swirl cut, you would use two chopsticks and slice at an angle (video attached)
Mix cucumbers with a generous amount of salt and let it sit for 30 mins then rinse 2-3 times.
Create the marinade using the ingredients listed above.
Marinade the cucumbers for at least 3 hours. Overnight would be the best.
Sprinkle with sesame seeds when ready to eat.
