Smacked cucumbers with cheat’s XO sauce
- Preparation and cooking time
- Total time
- + draining + chilling
- Easy
- Serves 4 as a side
Ingredients
- 2 cucumbers
- 1 tsp sea salt flakes
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil
- 3 slices prosciutto, shredded
- 1 shallot, finely chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- a thumb-sized piece ginger, finely chopped
- 2 tsp dried chilli flakes
- ½ tsp shrimp paste
- ½ tbsp soy sauce
- ½ tbsp soft brown sugar
- ½ tbsp rice vinegar
Method
- STEP 1
Put the whole cucumbers onto a chopping board and hit with a rolling pin so they start to break apart. Cut each cucumber lengthways into long quarters, then into chunky pieces. Put into a colander over a bowl and sprinkle with the salt.
- STEP 2
Put the vegetable oil into a small pan with the prosciutto and shallot, and cook gently for 10 minutes until crisp.
- STEP 3
Add the garlic, ginger, chilli flakes and shrimp paste, and cook for 2 minutes, then add the soy and sugar, and simmer gently for 10 minutes. Cool, then stir in the rice vinegar.
- STEP 4
Rinse the cucumbers under cold running water, drain really well, pat dry with kitchen paper then tip into a bowl or container with the XO sauce. Cover and chill for at least 1 hour, then serve.
