| 2 pickling cucumbers or other small cucumbers (about 8 ounces) |
| 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped |
| 2 scallions, white and light green parts only, finely chopped |
| 1 1/4-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and finely chopped |
| 2 tablespoons rice vinegar |
| 1 tablespoon Korean chile powder (see Note) |
| 1/2 teaspoon fish sauce (see Note) |
Notes: Korean chile powder (gochugaru, gochugalu or Korean “crushed red pepper”) is made from thin red peppers that are sun-dried on woven mats or strung together and hung from the eaves of thatch-roofed houses throughout the countryside. Store, airtight, in the refrigerator or freezer indefinitely.
Fish sauce is a pungent Southeast Asian condiment made from salted, fermented fish. Find it in the Asian-food section of large supermarkets and in Asian specialty markets. We use Thai Kitchen fish sauce, lower in sodium than other brands (1,190 mg per tablespoon), in our recipe testing and nutritional analyses.
Tip: A nonreactive bowl or pan—stainless-steel, enamel-coated or glass—is necessary when cooking with acidic foods, such as vinegar, to prevent the food from reacting with it. |
