Thai Pickled Cucumbers

Thom Hackett
Servings: 8

Unlike regular pickles, these thinly sliced cucumbers are salted first before they are infused with a piquant rice wine vinegar brine.  There's a slight crispness to the texture, and they're always welcome as a condiment on the Thai table to enjoy atop rice, noodles, or just on their own.  Try to find the long seedless cucumbers as they'll make the best pickles, but if these are unavailable, cut regular cucumbers lengthwise in half and remove the seeds before slicing.

 

1 hothouse (seedless) cucumber, unpeeled
1 tablespoon coarse salt
1 cup rice wine vinegar
2 tablespoons light brown sugar
2 (or to taste) tiny dried red chilies, such as Bird Eye
Chinese, or other small red chilies

Halve the cucumber lengthwise, then cut crosswise into ⅛-inch-thick slices. 

  1. Place the cucumber in a bowl and toss with salt. 

  2. Let sit for 1 hour, tossing once or twice. 

  3. Drain well and return to the bowl.

Meanwhile...

  1. Combine the vinegar and sugar in a small saucepan. 

  2. Lightly crush the chilies and discard the seeds, according to taste.  (The heat is in the seeds.)

  3. Add the chilies to the saucepan. 

  4. Cook over low heat until the sugar dissolves, 1½ to 2 minutes. 

  5. Cool to room temperature. 

  6. Add the vinegar mixture to the cucumbers, toss to combine, and let rest for 1 hour more. 

Drain and serve, or store covered in the refrigerator. 

 

These are best served within 8 hours.