Ingredients
- 7 or 8 very small seedless cucumbers, about 1 pound
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 4 tablespoons unhulled sesame seeds
- 3 tablespoons brown rice miso
- 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
- 1 teaspoon finely grated ginger
- 6 shiso leaves (available at Asian markets)
6 servings
Preparation
- Wash cucumbers but do not peel. Cut off and discard ends, and slice cucumbers into 1/8-inch rounds. Put in a medium-size bowl, sprinkle with salt and mix well. Leave for 10 minutes.
- In a dry skillet over medium-high heat, toast sesame seeds until fragrant and just beginning to pop, 1 minute or less. Transfer to a suribachi (Japanese grinding bowl) or mortar and grind to a coarse paste. Add miso, vinegar and ginger and stir well.
- Squeeze cucumbers a handful at a time to express their liquid. Drain in a colander. Stack shiso leaves and roll into a cigar shape. Slice thinly with a sharp knife. Dress cucumbers with miso-sesame mixture. Sprinkle with shiso slivers, toss gently and serve.
About 20 minutes
Dining and Cooking