Salt-Massaged Cucumbers With Miso and Sesame

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

1. 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.
2. 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.
3. 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