Pai Huang Gua Recipes

PAI HUANG GUA A.K.A. SMASHED CUCUMBER SALAD

Steps:

• Wash your cucumbers and pat them dry, then place them on your chopping board.
• Then using something heavy such as food mallet or a rolling pin, whack the cucumbers so that they just burst open.
• Cut the cucumbers diagonally into small chunks, this way there is more surface area for your dressing to penetrate.
• Place the cucumbers in a colander sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon sea salt and toss, let them stand for 20 minutes. We want to draw out some of the liquid so that the cucumbers are not too watery.
• Wash the chilli, remove the seeds then dice finely. Wash the coriander/cilantro, shake to remove to excess water, pat dry and roughly chop.
• Place all dressing ingredients in a glass jar, shake until emulsified. Taste and adjust seasonings according to your liking.
• After the 20 minutes have passed drain the liquid from the smashed cucumbers, then pat dry. Place them in a mixing bowl.
• Add the diced chilli and coriander/cilantro, pour over the dressing then toss to combine. Taste and adjust seasonings according to your preferences.
• Arrange in a salad bowl and keep chilled until ready to serve.

CHINESE SMASHED CUCUMBER SALAD (PAI HUANG GUA)

Steps:

• Place cucumber on chopping board.
• Use a heavy object like a mallet or cleaver to smash the cucumbers.
• Once the cucumber cracks and splits, you can stop smashing.
• Then slice the cucumber on a diagonal into bite sized chunks.
• Place in a mixing bowl and add salt.
• Mix and let it sit for at least 10 minutes to draw out the excess moisture.
• Drain excess water and place cucumber back in bowl ready to be dressed.
• Finely chop or grate garlic.
• In a small mixing bowl, add chopped garlic, soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, sesame oil and sugar together.
• Mix well until sugar has dissolved.
• Add salad dressing over the smashed cucumber. Mix well.
• Transfer to serving bowl. Add chilli oil if you prefer a spicy version.
• Serve.

SMASHED CUCUMBER AND WATERMELON SALAD

Steps:

• Partially peel the cucumbers in strips and cut in half lengthwise. Using a spoon, scrape out the seeds. Firmly smash the cucumber pieces with the flat side of a cleaver or large knife (or a rolling pin) until the cucumbers split in half naturally. Pull apart the 2 sides of the cucumbers along the natural split. Cut the cucumbers into 1-inch pieces diagonally.
• Toss together the cucumbers and 2 teaspoons salt in a medium bowl. Let sit at room temperature until the cucumbers have released some liquid, about 1 hour.
• Meanwhile, add the neutral oil and shallots to a medium saucepan over medium-low heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the shallots are mostly browned, about 6 minutes. Set aside to cool, about 20 minutes (the shallots will continue to brown).
• When the shallot oil mixture is cool, stir in the following ingredients in this order: the lime zest, Chinese black vinegar, ginger, soy sauce, sugar, 1 teaspoon of the sesame seeds, the red chile and lime juice until the sugar is dissolved; set aside.
• Drain the cucumbers and dry them with a paper towel. Toss the cucumbers, watermelon, cilantro and mint in the lime-soy dressing and transfer to a plate. Garnish with the remaining toasted sesame seeds and additional cilantro and mint.

CHINESE SMASHED CUCUMBERS WITH SESAME OIL AND GARLIC

Steps:

• Rinse cucumbers and pat dry. Cut crosswise into pieces about 4 inches long. Cut each piece in half lengthwise.
• On a work surface, place a piece of cucumber (or several) cut side down. Lay the blade of a large knife flat on top the cucumber and smash down lightly with your other hand. The skin will begin to crack, the flesh will break down and the seeds will separate. Repeat until the whole piece is smashed. Break or slice diagonally into bite-size pieces, leaving the seeds behind.
• Place the cucumber pieces in a strainer and toss with a big pinch of salt and a big pinch of sugar. Place a plastic bag filled with ice on top of the cucumbers to serve as a weight and place the strainer over a bowl. Let drain 15 to 30 minutes on the counter, or in the refrigerator until ready to serve, up to 4 hours.
• Make the dressing: In a small bowl, combine salt, sugar and rice vinegar. Stir until salt and sugar are dissolved. Stir in sesame oil and soy sauce.
• When ready to serve, shake cucumbers well to drain off any remaining liquid and transfer to a serving bowl. Drizzle with grapeseed or olive oil and toss. Add half the dressing, half the garlic and the red pepper flakes to taste, and toss. Keep adding dressing until cucumbers are well coated but not drowned. Taste and add more pepper flakes and garlic if needed. Serve immediately, garnished with cilantro and sesame seeds.