quick pickled cucumber

Pickled Cucumber Strips — serves 4 (great on grilled kingfish wing; works with any grilled protein)

Ingredients

• Cucumber, peeled lengthways into strips — 300 g

• Salt — 6 g

• Granulated sugar — 25 g

• White pepper — 1 g

• Mushroom powder — 3 g

• Korean chili flakes (gochugaru) — 6 g

• Toasted sesame oil — 8 g

• Rice vinegar — 40 g

• Light soy sauce — 15 g

Method

1. Prepare cucumber: Peel the cucumber lengthways into long strips about 5–7 mm thick. Place strips in a bowl.

2. Salt and draw out water: Sprinkle 6 g salt over cucumber strips, toss, and let sit 10–15 minutes. Do not rinse.

3. Make pickling mix: In a separate bowl combine 25 g sugar, 1 g white pepper, 3 g mushroom powder, 6 g Korean chili flakes, 8 g sesame oil, 40 g rice vinegar, and 15 g light soy. Whisk until sugar partly dissolves and the mix is homogenous.

4. Combine and rest: Pour the pickling mix over the drained cucumber strips, toss to coat thoroughly. Let sit at room temperature 10 minutes, then refrigerate at least 30 minutes.

5. Serve: Arrange pickled cucumber strips over grilled kingfish wing or scatter alongside any grilled protein. Spoon a little of the pickling liquid over the fish before finishing. Finish with an extra drizzle of sesame oil or a pinch more gochugaru if you want heat.

Notes

• Texture: Quick pickling keeps the cucumber crisp. If you prefer softer, increase resting time to several hours.

• Mushroom powder adds umami — substitute with 5 g bonito powder