Spicy Sesame Cucumber with Avocado
I love, love, love this fragrant salad. I’ve done different takes on it throughout the years, but it dates back to being a young line cook in New York City. A whimsical take on guacamole, which itself makes it worth a try, it’s fantastic alone or with chips, and even better when topped with sliced, marinated fish, ceviche-style.
Ingrediënten
Serves 4 to 6
- 2 small English cucumbers
- Salt
- 1 small red onion
- 1 large avocado peeled, seeded, and coarsely chopped
- 2 small jalapeños seeded and finely minced
- 2 tablespoons black or white sesame seeds toasted (see below)
- ¼ cup toasted sesame oil cold-pressed preferred
- ¼ cup rice vinegar
Instructies
- Trim off the ends of the cucumbers and halve them lengthwise, then cut the halves in half lengthwise once more.
- Scrape out the exposed seeds.
- Cut each quarter into ¼-inch slices.
- In a colander, toss the cucumbers with a pinch of salt.
- Set the colander in your sink for 30 minutes.
- The salt will force the cucumbers to expel their excess water.
- Transfer the cucumbers to a paper towel to dry.
- Meanwhile, halve the onion lengthwise, then slice each half into thin half-moons.
- Soak the slices in a bowl of ice water for 10 minutes to crisp and tone down their raw flavor.
- Transfer to a paper towel to dry.
- In a medium bowl, stir together the avocado and cucumber.
- Add half of the red onion slices, the jalapeños, 1 tablespoon of the sesame seeds, and the sesame oil.
- Mash the ingredients with a fork, gently breaking up the avocado into a chunky paste.
- Be careful to not overdo it—some texture is essential to a pleasant guacamole.
- Stir in the rice vinegar and season with salt to taste.
- Top with the remaining red onion and 1 tablespoon sesame seeds.
- Serve immediately.
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