Oi Muchim (Korean Cucumber Salad)
This is a dish defined by texture. When you draw the water out properly, the cucumbers stay crisp rather than turning limp in the dressing.
Mind the water content.
The salt-and-drain step is the only way to keep the salad from becoming a watery soup after ten minutes on the table.
- colander
- large mixing bowl
- chef's knife
- mandoline (optional)
What goes in.
- 2Kirby or Persian cucumbers, sliced into 1/8-inch rounds
- 1 tspsea salt
- 2 tbspgochugaru (coarse Korean red chili flakes)
- 1 tbspsoy sauce
- 1 tbsprice vinegar
- 1 tspminced garlic
- 1 tsptoasted sesame oil
- 1scallion, thinly sliced
- 1 tsptoasted sesame seeds
Drawing out the brine
Toss the cucumber slices with salt and let them sit for 15 minutes. Once they feel slightly flexible, squeeze them firmly with your hands to remove the excess liquid before seasoning.
The method.
Prep the cucumbers
Slice the cucumbers into rounds. Place them in a colander and toss with the salt. Set aside for 15 minutes.
Squeeze
Take the cucumbers by the handful and squeeze tightly to remove as much moisture as possible. Transfer the dry slices to a clean mixing bowl.
Make the paste
In a small bowl, whisk together the gochugaru, soy sauce, vinegar, garlic, and sesame oil until it forms a thick, vibrant red paste.
Toss
Pour the paste over the cucumbers. Add the scallions and sesame seeds. Toss thoroughly with your hands or a spoon until every surface is coated.
Other turns to take.
Sweetened
Add one teaspoon of sugar to the paste if you prefer to balance the heat of the chili flakes.
Allium-heavy
Thinly slice a small piece of yellow onion and add it to the bowl for added bite.
When it doesn't go to plan.
Use Kirbys or Persians; English cucumbers are often too watery and lack the necessary snap.
If the gochugaru is very dry, let the paste sit for five minutes before mixing it into the cucumbers so the flakes can rehydrate.
Serve immediately. This salad loses its structural integrity the longer it sits in the dressing.
The ones that keep coming up.
Can I use regular chili powder instead of gochugaru?
No. Gochugaru has a unique, coarse texture and a specific smokey-sweet heat that cannot be replicated by fine-ground chili powders.
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