ilyadaysRecipes

Japanese basics

Japanese cucumber pickle (sunomono)

Crisp and sweet-sour. Salting pulls the water out; rinsing takes the salt back off so the marinade does the seasoning. Ginger, garlic and a splash of rice vinegar go in first, then the vinegar–mirin–sugar marinade, with light soy and sesame at the very end. No rice vinegar for the marinade? Pick your vinegar below — the amounts update to match.

2 side servings~20 min + marinating
Japanese cucumber pickle (sunomono)

Mise en place — set out in the order it goes in

  1. Cucumber
    Cucumbersliced, salted, rinsed, squeezedStep 3
  2. Ginger + garlic
    Ginger + garlicgrated, + rice vinegarStep 4
  3. Marinade
    Marinade
    • vinegar
    • mirin
    • sugar
    Step 5
  4. Finish
    Finishlight soy · sesameStep 6

Prep order — what happens when, and what overlaps

minutes
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Slice cucumber 3 min
Salt and rest 10 min
10 min
Grate ginger + garlic, mix marinade 4 min
4 min
Rinse, squeeze 2 min
Ginger, garlic, rice vinegar 1 min
Marinade in 1 min
Marinate in the fridge 20 min
20 min
Light soy + sesame 1 min
BoardHands-offBowl / counter

Marinate anywhere from 10 minutes (crispest) to an hour.

Step by step

  1. Slice about 2 mm thin — fingertips tucked.
    Slice about 2 mm thin — fingertips tucked.

    1Slice thin

    ~3 min

    For this step

    • Cucumber250 g
    • Slice the cucumber about 2 mm thick (a mandoline makes this quick).
    • Peeling a few stripes off first looks nice but is optional.
    Slice thin
    Should look like this
  2. Toss with the salt and leave 10 minutes.
    Toss with the salt and leave 10 minutes.

    2Salt and rest

    10 min

    For this step

    • Fine salt, for drawing out water½ tsp

    Toss with ½ tsp salt and leave 10 minutes to pull the water out.

    Salt and rest
    Should look like this
  3. Rinse, then squeeze firmly by the handful.
    Rinse, then squeeze firmly by the handful.

    3Rinse and squeeze

    ~2 min

    Rinse the salt off under cold water, then squeeze firmly by the handful — this is what keeps them crunchy and stops them watering down the marinade.

    Rinse and squeeze
    Should look like this
  4. Grate the ginger and garlic finely, straight over the cucumber.
    Grate the ginger and garlic finely, straight over the cucumber.

    4Ginger, garlic, rice vinegar

    ~1 min

    For this step

    • Ginger, grated1 tsp
    • Garlic, grated1 small clove
    • Rice vinegar (first splash)1 tbsp

    Add the grated ginger and garlic and the 1 tbsp rice vinegar. Mix it up.

    Ginger, garlic, rice vinegar
    Should look like this
  5. Stir until the sugar dissolves, then pour over and toss.
    Stir until the sugar dissolves, then pour over and toss.

    5The marinade

    ~2 min

    For this step

    • Rice vinegar2 tbsp (30 ml)
    • Water—
    • Stir until the sugar dissolves:
      • rice vinegar + water
      • mirin 1 tbsp
      • sugar 2 tsp
    • Pour it over the cucumbers and toss.
    • Optional: microwave the mirin and sugar together for 20–30 seconds first to dissolve the sugar and cook off the mirin’s alcohol; let it cool before adding.
    The marinade
    Should look like this
  6. Just before serving: a little light soy and the sesame.
    Just before serving: a little light soy and the sesame.

    6Rest, then soy and sesame

    10 min – 1 h

    For this step

    • Light soy sauce (usukuchi)½–1 tsp
    • Toasted sesame seeds1 tsp
    • Chill 10 minutes (crispest) up to 1 hour.
    • Add the light soy sauce and sesame at the end, just before serving.
    • Keeps 2–3 days in the fridge, softening as it sits.
    Rest, then soy and sesame
    Should look like this