Preserving the Japanese Way by Nancy Singleton Hachisu

Author:Nancy Singleton Hachisu
Language: eng
Format: epub, pdf
Publisher: Andrews McMeel Publishing, LLC

My soba chef friend Kanchan served these to us one summer day several years ago and I never forgot them. I was back in his restaurant eating lunch the following summer and asked him how he had made these quick pickled cucumbers with umeboshi. He was hard pressed to remember, so re-created them on the spot. Like many dishes, the updated version had evolved and was even more delightful than the previous one.

smashed cucumbers with sour plum SERVES 6

TATAKI KYURI NO UMEBOSHI-AE

4 medium Japanese cucumbers, about 1 pound (450 g)

2 teaspoons sea salt

2 teaspoons finely chopped umeboshi

½ teaspoon organic soy sauce

¼ cup (60 cc) loosely packed shaved katsuobushi

Cut off the ends of the cucumbers and set them on a large cutting board. Give their surfaces some firm whacks with a Japanese pestle ( surikogi ), or rolling pin. Be sure to pull up slightly when the wood impacts the surface of the cucumbers so you don’t smash them completely. Break the cucumbers into rough bite-sized chunks with your hands and scrape them into a medium-sized bowl along with the pooled-up juices on the board. Massage the salt into the cucumbers gently and leave to macerate for about 10 minutes.

Squeeze the cucumbers by handfuls and drop them into another clean, medium-sized bowl. Scissor the chopped umeboshi into the cucumbers with your fingers, then mix in the soy sauce. Sprinkle in the katsuobushi and toss until well distributed. Serve before dinner with drinks or as a side dish with any summer meal.

VARIATIONS: Stack 8 shiso leaves, roll into a cigar shape, and slice into fine tendrils; toss with the cucumbers instead of the katsuobushi. The cucumbers can be sliced into ¼-inch (6-mm) rounds instead of whacked and broken. Substitute Western cucumbers, but peel and seed them first.

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