Smashed Cucumber Salad

In Taiwan, one cannot eat at a restaurant without ordering 小菜 “Little Plate” or side dishes. Usually consisting of vegetables, marinated firm tofu, soft boiled peanuts, or black wood ear mushrooms. Little Plate is a part of Taiwanese restaurant culture and something I look forward to every time I eat out. It is also a good way to get your veggie fix as Taiwanese cuisine can be heavy and salads are not really a thing.

This cucumber salad is a 涼拌, which translates into “Cold Toss”. Similar in cooking style compared to a green papaya salad — I would say it is a signature “little plate” in Taiwan. I enjoy making this as an appetizer when friends come over. It’s refreshing yet flavourful. The peanuts make it indulgent, the birds-eye chilli gives it a good kick, and one can not eat too many cucumber dishes in summer weather.

Smashed Cucumber Salad 涼拌小黃瓜

Ingredients

5 mini Japanese or Persian cucumbers (around 350 grams)

2 Tbsp Kosher salt

4 red or green Thai chiles, halved lengthwise keeping stem end intact

2 garlic cloves, minced

½ cup unseasoned rice vinegar

2 Tbsp fish sauce

1 Tbsp sugar

Chopped unsalted or salted roasted peanuts

Instructions

Smash cucumbers with a rolling pin or a wine bottle. Careful not to smash too close to the cutting board now, you want some crunch in them. Tear into 2-inch pieces, place in a medium bowl and season with salt. Let sit for 30 minutes.

In the meantime, add chillies, garlic, vinegar, fish sauce and sugar to a medium bowl. Whisk until the sugar dissolves.

Drain cucumbers, rinse with cold water and squeeze to release salty water. Add to bowl with dressing and toss to combine. Chill in the fridge for an hour and serve topped with peanuts.

These cucumbers will keep in the fridge for 2 or 3 days.

Cilantro Salad with Shallot Oil

I had a bunch of cilantro sitting in the fridge leftover from a week of recipe shooting. It felt like a problem waiting for a creative solution. I researched some recipes online and came across the delightful site of Madame Huang, a California native who lived in Taiwan for a number of years.

I love this recipe because I now have a way to use up all my extra cilantro. I also rediscovered a lovely substitute for sesame oil if I ever need something that tastes a little lighter and fragrant —shallot oil.

I grew up eating fried shallots in lots of dishes — a topping over rice noodle soups, folded into steamed turnip cakes or served over vegetables. I usually avoid store brought fried shallots, not trusting the quality of oil they were fried in. A good reason to make one’s own.

This salad calls for an entire bunch of cilantro. Not brown, wilted ones but fresh, vibrant cilantro. I substituted peanuts for cashews and yellow pepper for red since I cannot drop by the grocery store as easily these days. Toasted peanuts on the top of my shopping list next week. 

Shallot Oil

Ingredients

1 cup thinly sliced shallots (around three shallots)
1.5 cup fresh rice bran oil ( sub peanut or grapeseed oil)

*Make this oil at least a day ahead before you want to use it to flavour your dish.

Instructions

Slice shallots into thin rings, as evenly as you can. Heat oil over medium-high heat in a pan. You can tell the oil is ready when there are small ripples on the surface. Test by inserting a chopstick into the oil, it should be covered in bubbles immediately. Sprinkle in the shallots, reduce heat to medium and fry them until they turn a golden brown. Stir often so they fry evenly. Turn the heat off when they are a light golden brown, and fry with the residue heat.

Strain the shallots over a sieve into a vessel. Reserve the shallots as a topping, and use the oil for stir fry, a sesame oil substitute or in other dishes. Alternatively, you can add the cooled oil back into the shallots and use as a topping over rice, noodles or steamed greens

Cilantro and Peanut Salad

Ingredients

1 bunch fresh cilantro*
½ cup fried or toasted peanuts
½ sweet bell pepper 
1 tsp soy sauce
½ tsp sugar
¼ tsp sea salt
2 tbsp shallot oil (sub sesame oil)
1 tbsp toasted sesame seeds

Instructions

Trim and remove the tough or browned stalks of cilantro. Wash in water, shake dry, cut into 1-inch pieces and transfer to a mixing bowl. Prep the bell pepper and slice into small pieces, around the size of a peanut. Add peppers to the mixing bowl.

Toss cilantro with pepper, peanuts and the rest of ingredients. Taste and add more seasoning if you’d like. I added some fried shallots from the shallot oil. Serve as an appetizer or as a side. Also great as a chilled dish, just toss in the peanuts and dressing before serving. 

*As cilantro is the main ingredient, use the nicest bunch you can find.

Spicy Smashed Roasted Potatoes

Every day is brunch day when you have smashed roasted potatoes. Crispy and dredged in flavour, these are the perfect size to consume in one bite. They are easy to make, excellent for entertaining, and bring delight to all potato lovers. I had these at a summer potluck and have rarely gone back to normal baked potatoes since.

I highly recommend making these with Sichuan Peppercorn Salt. Sichuan peppercorns add much flavour and a fragrance normal peppercorns do not yield. If you do not have time, normal salt and pepper will do. The trick with potatoes is to roast until they are crispy, on the edge of burning, and eat them while they are hot.

Spicy Smashed Roasted Potatoes

Spicy Smashed Roasted Potatoes

Ingredients
1 pound small potatoes 
3 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
Olive oil
Sichuan Peppercorn Salt
Chives, parsley or green onions

Instructions

Preheat your oven to 425 F. Wash potatoes and put in a large microwaveable bowl. Fill a bowl with water until potatoes are 80% submerged. Cover with saran wrap and poke a few holes in it. Microwave at 5-minute intervals or until potatoes are soft and easily pierced with a fork. Some potatoes may explode, which is to be expected. Drain potatoes and set aside.

On a large baking sheet, spread potatoes evenly and firmly press with your hands or spatula until smashed and flat. Try not to overcrowd the pan. Drizzle with olive oil, peppercorn salt. Roast for 25-30 minutes or until brown and crispy, flipping after the 15-minute mark. For extra crispiness, turn the broiler on high and cook for another 3 minutes, keeping a close eye on them so they do not burn.

Garnish with chopped herbs, sprinkle with more peppercorn salt if you wish. Serve immediately.