Distinctive Spicy Cucumber Strips
In the fast-paced modern life, we long for simple and delicious enjoyment. Spicy cucumber strips, as a modern appetizer, with its simple lines and distinct flavors, meet our pursuit of delicious food.
Ingredients Needed and Substitutions
Main ingredients
Cucumber: The key vegetable for this dish, providing a refreshing taste and crisp texture.
Green onion: Mainly used to add a unique scallion flavor. The white part of the scallion is the main part used.
Supplementary materials
Red pepper: Can add color and a certain spiciness to the dish.
Seasonings
Salt: Used for basic seasoning to bring out the original flavor of the ingredients and increase saltiness.
Sugar: Gives the dish a little sweetness and balances the overall taste.
Vinegar: Adds sourness to make the taste more layered and refreshing. Common varieties such as rice vinegar and aged vinegar can be selected.
Light soy sauce: Plays a role in enhancing freshness and increasing saltiness. It is a commonly used seasoning for Chinese cold dishes.
Oil: Used for frying ingredients during the cooking process. Peanut oil, corn oil, etc. are relatively commonly used.
Sichuan peppercorns: Can bring a special numbing aroma to the dish.
Dried chili peppers: Can be selected according to an individual's tolerance for spiciness to adjust the spiciness of the dish.
Substitutes
If it is difficult to obtain green onions, you can try to use chives commonly used in Western cuisine as a substitute. Chives have a relatively mild taste but can also provide a certain scallion aroma. However, there are differences in shape and intensity of flavor compared to green onions. When using them, the amount can be appropriately increased.
If there are no Sichuan peppercorns, you can try using a small amount of a mixture of black pepper and nutmeg to simulate a similar complex aroma, but the overall flavor is still quite different from that of Sichuan peppercorns.
What cucumbers can be used to make spicy and sour cucumber strips
Ordinary cucumbers
Ordinary cucumbers are common, with a slender cylindrical shape and a dark green epidermis with light white prickles. Their flesh is crisp and tender, with high water content. After pickling, they have a crisp taste and can fully absorb the spicy and sour flavors. For example, Jinchun No. 4 cucumbers have strong growth potential and straight melons. They are easy to buy in the market and have an affordable price. They are a common choice for making spicy and sour cucumber strips.
Fruit cucumbers
Fruit cucumbers are relatively small, short and thick, with a smooth epidermis and no prickles. The taste is sweet, extremely rich in water, and the flesh is tender. When making them, their sweetness can neutralize the spicy and sour flavors and enrich the taste. For example, Dutch fruit cucumbers have excellent quality and good taste. They can often be seen in supermarkets or fresh food stores and are very popular for making cold dishes.
Expert Tips
Cucumber handling skills: When cutting cucumber strips, try to ensure that each strip is evenly thick. In this way, during pickling and seasoning, cucumbers can evenly absorb salt and sauce, so that the taste is more consistent. If using ordinary cucumbers, the part of the melon cavity has a high water content and many seeds. Removing the melon cavity can avoid being too soft and watery after pickling, affecting the taste and appearance of the dish.
Adjustment of seasoning ratio: Fine-tune the proportion of seasonings according to personal taste preferences. If you like a more sour taste, you can appropriately increase the amount of vinegar; if you prefer a sweeter taste, you can add a little more sugar. At the same time, when adding light soy sauce, pay attention to its saltiness to avoid making the whole dish too salty.
Key to heat control: When frying shredded green onions, ginger and chili peppers, the heat should not be too high. Frying slowly over medium-low heat can fully stir-fry the aroma without scorching the shredded green onions and ginger. Otherwise, it will produce a bitter taste and affect the flavor of the whole dish.
Key points for making chili oil: When making chili oil, first put Sichuan peppercorns and dried chili peppers into cold oil, and then turn on the heat. As the oil temperature gradually rises, the aroma of Sichuan peppercorns and dried chili peppers will be slowly released. In this way, the chili oil made will have a more intense aroma. And when pouring chili oil, pour it evenly on the cucumber strips so that each cucumber strip can be coated with hot oil to stimulate its aroma.
Recipe features
Diverse taste
The crispness and juiciness of cucumbers are the foundation. After processing and seasoning, while retaining the crispness, it also incorporates spicy, sour, salty and sweet flavors. At the entrance, first is the crispness of cucumbers, and then the sour, spicy, sweet and salty flavors come one after another. The taste is rich in layers and changeable. A bite is full of surprises.
Unique flavor
The sauce made from a variety of seasonings is ingenious. The sourness of vinegar, the sweetness of sugar, the saltiness of light soy sauce and the spiciness of Sichuan peppercorns and chili peppers interweave and collide, and also coexist harmoniously with the fresh flavor of cucumbers, creating a highly recognizable unique taste that strongly stimulates the taste buds and leaves a lasting aftertaste.
Convenient and easy to make
The production process is simple and clear, without complex skills or special equipment requirements. From preprocessing ingredients to finally pouring oil and plating, the steps are clear at a glance. Beginners can also quickly get started and easily achieve deliciousness. It is extremely suitable for daily fast-paced life and is a convenient delicacy choice for family dining tables.
INGREDIENTS
Main Ingredients
-
·1 cucumber
-
·1 green onion
Accessories
-
·1 red pepper
-
·10g ginger
Seasonings
-
·5g salt (1 spoon)
-
·5g sugar (1 spoon)
-
·15ml vinegar (3 spoons)
-
·10ml light soy sauce (2 spoons)
-
·35ml oil
-
·3g Sichuan peppercorns
-
·5g dried chili peppers
COOKING STEP
Step 1
Cucumber processing: Wash 1 cucumber, remove the melon cavity, and cut it into small strips of 6-7 centimeters.
Step 2
Cucumber pickling: Put the cut cucumber strips into a bowl, add 5g of salt and stir evenly, and pickle for 2 minutes.
Step 3
Cutting and preparing supplementary materials: Cut the white part of 1 green onion into shreds; shred 1 red pepper; cut 10g of ginger into shreds.
Step 4
Sauce preparation: Add 5g of sugar, 15ml of vinegar, and 10ml of light soy sauce to a bowl and stir evenly for later use.
Step 5
Stir-frying supplementary materials: Heat a pan and add 20ml of oil. Stir-fry the shredded ginger for 30 seconds, then add the shredded green onion and shredded red pepper and continue to stir-fry for 30 seconds.
Step 6
Mixing ingredients: Pour the pickled cucumber strips into the pan, pour on the prepared sauce, stir evenly and plate.
Step 7
Making chili oil: Heat another pan and add 15ml of oil. Put 3g of Sichuan peppercorns and 5g of dried chili peppers and stir-fry for 1 minute until fragrant.
Step 8
Finish by pouring oil: Use a colander to scoop out the Sichuan peppercorns and dried chili peppers, and pour the hot oil on the plated cucumbers.
More recipes worth trying
Wood Ear Mushroom Salad Recipes
Chinese Century Egg Salad (Pidan Salad)
Sweet and Sour Pork with Juicy Pineapple Recipe
What dishes can it be paired with
Cold dish series
Cold shredded potatoes, whose soft and crisp taste and spicy and sour flavor echo with cucumber strips. After shredding potatoes and blanching them, mix them with vinegar, salt, chili oil, etc. When paired, the crispness of cucumbers and the soft and crisp texture of potatoes complement each other, and the similar spicy and sour flavor enhances the taste stimulation. Cold shredded tofu skin is also good. The tofu skin is soft and tender and chewy. After cutting into pieces or shreds, add seasonings such as light soy sauce and mix well. Paired with cucumber strips, the soft and tender texture contrasts sharply with the crispness. The bean fragrance can also enrich the taste and balance the flavor.
Hot dish series
Kung Pao chicken is a preferred choice. It has a rich sweet, spicy and sour taste. The chicken is tender and the peanuts are crispy, which complements the spicy and sour cucumber strips. The mellow chicken, the granularity of peanuts and cucumbers are intertwined. The sweet and spicy and spicy and sour flavors collide to create a rich taste. Yuxiang shredded pork is also suitable. It has prominent sweet, sour and spicy flavors. Its shredded pork is smooth and tender, and the side dishes are soft and tender. In contrast to the crispness of cucumbers, the complex taste fuses with the spicy, sour and refreshing cucumber. It can relieve greasiness and enrich the taste experience.
Dietary suggestions
Balanced nutrition combination
If spicy and sour cucumber strips are paired with cold shredded potatoes and tofu skin as cold dishes, hot dishes rich in protein should be added, such as steamed fish or pan-fried chicken breast. In this way, in a meal, there are vitamins provided by cucumbers, potatoes, etc., dietary fiber contained in tofu skin, etc., and also protein, which can maintain the body's metabolism and functional operation.
Control the intake of seasonings
Since spicy and sour cucumber strips and some cold dishes contain more salt and sugar, people with hypertension, diabetes or those who need to control salt and sugar intake should eat less or strictly control the amount of seasonings when making them to prevent excessive intake of sodium and sugar and increase the burden on the body.
FAQs:
Adjusting the proportion of seasonings is also crucial. When not breaking the taste balance, increase the amount of vinegar and peppers appropriately, such as adding one more spoonful of vinegar or a few more dried chili peppers. Or extend the pickling time from 2 minutes to 5-10 minutes to make the cucumber strips fully absorb the spicy and sour taste. But be careful that if the time is too long, the cucumber strips are easy to become soft and mushy.
Adding spicy and sour ingredients is also an effective method. Adding pickled peppers can enhance the flavor. Chopping them and pickling or stir-frying them with cucumber strips at the same time. The unique spicy and sour taste of pickled peppers will be incorporated into them. Their juice also helps cucumber strips absorb the taste and makes the spicy and sour layers richer and more intense. This makes this spicy and sour cucumber strip more attractive in taste and flavor and meets diners' higher pursuit of spicy and sour tastes.
Aged vinegar is made from sorghum through long-term fermentation. It is dark brown in color and thick in texture. The sour taste is rich and mellow and has a unique aged fragrance. If you pursue a rich and long-lasting sour taste and a deep flavor, it is the top choice and can also add color.
Rice vinegar is brewed from rice. It is transparent or light yellow. The sour taste is soft and pure with a light rice fragrance. It is used to maintain a refreshing taste and moderate sourness and balance the overall flavor. It is suitable for those who do not like strong sourness.
White vinegar is mostly made by chemical synthesis or alcohol fermentation. It is transparent. The sour taste is sharp and strong without any off-flavors. If you want the sour taste to dominate, it can be used in an appropriate amount, but the amount should be controlled to prevent it from overpowering other flavors.
Fruit vinegars such as apple vinegar and grape vinegar are brewed from fruits. They have fruit fragrance. The sour taste is mild and fresh and has sweetness. It can add a special fruity aroma to cucumber strips, enrich the taste and make the spicy and sour taste fresher and more natural.
If placed in the refrigerator's cold storage compartment (2-8°C), they can be stored for 1-2 days. Low temperature can delay the reproduction of microorganisms and extend the shelf life. When refrigerated, it is advisable to use a sealed container to prevent flavor mixing and interference from refrigerator odors. But even if refrigerated, the longer it is stored, the taste and flavor will still gradually change, such as an increase in acidity and a decrease in crispness.
There are two common methods for blanching with water: salt blanching and sugar blanching. When salt blanching is done, add 5-10 grams of salt to every 500 grams of cucumber strips, stir evenly, and let it stand for 15-20 minutes. Then pour out the seeping water and rinse with clean water to remove excess salt. The sugar blanching method is to add sugar in a similar proportion, stir and let it stand. In addition to removing water, it can also add sweetness and enrich the taste. But after blanching with sugar, the cucumber strips may become sticky and also need to be rinsed clean with clean water.
REVIEWS
