Best Cucumbers With Scallions And Chili Oil Recipes

GRILLED CLAMS WITH SCALLIONS AND CUCUMBER

Steps:

• Preheat the grill on high heat.
• Cook the garlic: In a medium pan, heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil over medium heat. When it gets hot, add the garlic and ginger. Season lightly with salt and cook, stirring constantly, until they turn golden brown, 1 to 2 minutes. Remove them from the pan and immediately transfer to a medium bowl to cool. Stir in the pine nuts.
• In a larger bowl, combine the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil with the cucumbers and chili flakes. Toss to coat them with the oil. Season them lightly with salt. Sprinkle them with the sugar, vinegar and the sliced scallions and toss to blend. Combine with the garlic and pine nuts.
• Cook the clams and finish the dish: Scatter the clams on the grill in a single layer. Have a pair of tongs and a large platter ready. Clams will being to open after 3 minutes and should take about 10 minutes total. As they open, use the tongs to remove them from the grill and place them on the platter. When they are all opened, squeeze the juice from the lemons over them and scatter the cucumber and pine nuts all around. Try to get the mixture inside the clam shells as well. It's so delicious when you bite into the clam and get all the other flavors (and the char on the outside of the shells) all at once. Serve immediately.

CHINESE CHILE-SCALLION OIL

Steps:

• In a large pot fitted with a deep-frying thermometer, combine the red pepper flakes, garlic, scallions, ginger, and the oils. Over medium-low heat, bring to a bubbly 225 to 250 degrees, stirring occasionally. Simmer 15 minutes, making sure the temperature does not rise above 250 degrees. Let cool. Scrape the oil and solids into a glass or plastic container and store tightly covered at room temperature.

CHINESE SMASHED CUCUMBERS WITH SESAME OIL AND GARLIC

Steps:

• Rinse cucumbers and pat dry. Cut crosswise into pieces about 4 inches long. Cut each piece in half lengthwise.
• On a work surface, place a piece of cucumber (or several) cut side down. Lay the blade of a large knife flat on top the cucumber and smash down lightly with your other hand. The skin will begin to crack, the flesh will break down and the seeds will separate. Repeat until the whole piece is smashed. Break or slice diagonally into bite-size pieces, leaving the seeds behind.
• Place the cucumber pieces in a strainer and toss with a big pinch of salt and a big pinch of sugar. Place a plastic bag filled with ice on top of the cucumbers to serve as a weight and place the strainer over a bowl. Let drain 15 to 30 minutes on the counter, or in the refrigerator until ready to serve, up to 4 hours.
• Make the dressing: In a small bowl, combine salt, sugar and rice vinegar. Stir until salt and sugar are dissolved. Stir in sesame oil and soy sauce.
• When ready to serve, shake cucumbers well to drain off any remaining liquid and transfer to a serving bowl. Drizzle with grapeseed or olive oil and toss. Add half the dressing, half the garlic and the red pepper flakes to taste, and toss. Keep adding dressing until cucumbers are well coated but not drowned. Taste and add more pepper flakes and garlic if needed. Serve immediately, garnished with cilantro and sesame seeds.