Spicy Cucumber Salad with Sesame Seeds

Ingredients

• 3 medium cucumbers or 2 European cucumbers
• 1 T salt, for salting cucumbers to remove water
• 1 T toasted sesame seeds
• 1 T soy sauce
• 3 T rice vinegar
• 1 T Thai Chili Garlic Paste
• 1/2 tsp. minced garlic
• 1 T sweetener of your choice
• 3 T Asian sesame oil
• Completely optional: 1 T finely chopped Thai Basil

Directions

1. Peel the cucumbers, then slice each one in half lengthwise.
2. With a sharp spoon, scoop out the seeds, and slice the cucumber into 1/4 inch pieces.
3. Transfer the cucumbers to a colander, add the salt, and let them drain for at least 30 minutes. If you are using regular supermarket cucumbers, they may need longer; you do not need to press them with a weight.
4. As the cucumbers drain, make the dressing. Whisk the soy sauce with the rice vinegar, then whisk in the Thai Chili Garlic Paste, garlic, your chosen sweetener, and sesame oil.
5. If you're adding the chopped basil, stir it into the dressing now.
6. Leave the dressing at room temperature while the cucumbers finish draining, so the flavors have time to come together.
7. After 30 minutes, or once the cucumbers have given off as much liquid as you want, blot them well with paper towels and move them to a plastic bowl. You want to take off the excess moisture and most of the salt.
8. Add only enough dressing to coat the cucumbers, and toss gently.
9. You likely will have extra dressing, so tuck it away for another salad.
10. Set a dry pan over very high heat and toast the sesame seeds for about 30 seconds, then scatter them over the salad. If your sesame seeds are already toasted, a brief warm-up in the pan will still bring out their flavor.
11. Serve immediately.