Heather Christo’s recipe box is full of recipes that I want to make. This one, for Spicy Pickled Cucumbers recently caught my eye because it is perfect for days when you want something refreshing and chilled that you can mix and match with so many other dishes.
You start with: a large cucumber, rice wine vinegar, sugar, kosher salt, and crushed red pepper flakes. This would also be nice if you added some fresh herbs at the end!
Start by thinly slicing the cucumbers, as thinly as you can manage. Set them aside.
Pour your rice vinegar in a saucepan.
Next add the sugar.
Then the salt!
Then the red pepper flakes for a little kick.
Bring the mixture to a simmer over medium heat and whisk until the sugar and salt dissolve fully.
Remove the pot from the heat and let the liquid cool completely.
Then place your cucumbers in a bowl and pour the pickling liquid over them.
Stir them well and let them sit in the refrigerator, making sure to stir them every so often so that the flavors really blend together and the cucumbers pickle evenly.
This dish is wonderful with some chunks of tofu, or a medley of other summer vegetables. It could also be a condiment on a sandwich or stored in a jar for a rainy day.
Thank you to Heather for another winner. Check out her website for more recipes and home entertaining tips!
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Description
You can eat these just as a little salad, or as the perfect crunchy, sweet, salty and spicy addition to a sandwich.
Ingredients
- 1 whole Large English Cucumber
- 1 cup Rice Wine Vinegar
- ¼ cups Sugar
- 2 teaspoons Kosher Salt
- ¼ teaspoons Crushed Red Pepper Flakes
Preparation Instructions
1. Thinly slice the cucumber, and set aside.
2. Warm the rice wine vinegar, sugar, salt and red pepper flakes in a small saucepan. When you have brought it to a simmer, whisk well to make sure that the sugar and salt have dissolved.
3. Transfer it to a bowl and let it cool completely.
4. When the liquid is cool, add the cucumber slices.
5. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
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There’s so much to say about Georgia, we don’t know where to start. Leaving Wall Street for the French Culinary Institute, followed by a stint at the Gramercy Tavern and La Chassagnette in France, her passion for food and food traditions are evident and inspiring. Visit her site at Georgia Pellegrini, where you’ll find more recipes, photos, learn all about her wonderful books Girl Hunter and Food Heroes, and enjoy her latest adventures.
12 Comments
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Ariel on 12.4.2012
I’ve tried this – – – – – yum!!!
Lynne on 10.5.2012
I wonder if you could just take seasoned rice vinegar and add more sugar. It already has sugar and salt in it.
BJM on 10.4.2012
I make Asian meals a couple of times a week and a variation of this pickle is always in the “pan chan” (small side dishes) that accompany the main course. We’re picking the last of our home grown cukes now and boy, will we miss them.
I keep a 1 qt sized jar of the pickling liquid in the fridge cuz sometimes I serve the pickles freshly mixed, depending on the main course. When I serve it fresh I add a few drops of sesame oil and a sprinkle of toasted sesame seeds. Try making it with a combo of daikon and carrots cut into thin matchsticks. I’ve also used pencil thin fresh asparagus, split in half with a 1/2 tsp of lemon zest added to the brine. Excellent too!
Now I’m hungry.
Grateful on 10.4.2012
Putting in a jar to sit for a few days, the cucumbers will lose some of its crunch if cucumbers are sliced thin. Try cutting the cucumber long ways, removing the ‘seeds’ and then cutting into ‘sticks’. Depending on the thickness, it will still maintain its crunch up to a week.
recipes video on 10.4.2012
hi,thank you for this recipe, i’m going to try it.
what if instead of cooking the rice and the sugar,just put all the ingredients togther in a jar,and let it sit for a few days,have your ever try it?
strandjss on 10.4.2012
Black sesame seeds sprinkled on top would look lovely and complement the flavor of the rice wine vinegar. This one is a winner! Thanks
SteffiWeffi on 10.4.2012
Oh this looks delish! My boys aren’t fans of spicy so I’ll probably add dill…but yum-o!!!!
Eva on 10.4.2012
If you like it spicy, try a dressing/vinaigrette of rice vinegar, sesame oil, soy sauce, fish sauce, sugar, salt, chilli flakes and garlic with sliced cucumber and spring onion. Add mint and parsley (or thai basil) and be sure to sprinkle generously with crushed salted peanuts. In fact, tweak it in any way you like (e.g. by adding a little canola oil for smoothness or using different herbs). Best cucumber salad ever! Not my idea, though, I found it on a German food blog called “Kochfrosch” (http://kochfrosch.blogspot.de/2011/05/sommerlich-asiatischer-gurkensalat-mit.html)
Grateful on 10.3.2012
Try adding a few drops of sesame oil to add a touch of nuttiness. Or a couple of drops of canola oil to cut the acidity.
Travis Cotton on 10.3.2012
Interesting recipe.
Lisa S. on 10.3.2012
Yum – can also be called kimchi. We love it w/ homegrown onions too!
Allyn on 10.3.2012
I love cucumbers. We didn’t plant any this year, but I might have to next year! Thanks to this recipe though, I’m now considering adding red pepper flakes to my grandmother’s pickle recipe (http://lollingabout.wordpress.com/2012/09/21/foodie-friday-grandmommys-sweet-dill-pickles/). Sweet and hot? That’s how I like my pickles (and my men. Ha)!