Cucumber and wood ears salad
Spicy, salty, sour and sweet, enjoy this wood ears and cucumber salad as a side dish or a starter course.
Servings 4 people
Ingredients
- 2 cups fresh wood ears trimmed
- 1 cucumber
Dressing
- 1 tablespoon sesame seed oil
- 1 heaping tablespoon sesame seeds
- 1 to 2 bird's eye chilies thinly sliced
- ¼ cup sliced scallions (white and light green portions only)
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1½ tablespoons light soy sauce
- 1½ tablespoons rice wine vinegar
Instructions
- Cut the trimmed wood ears into half-inch wide slices.
- Boil abut four cups water in a pot, drop in the wood ears and cook for a minute.
- Pour the wood ears into a strainer and leave to allow excess water to drip off.
- Cut the cucumber into halves vertically, scrape off the seeds and discard.
- Thinly slice the cucumber.
- Pour the sesame seed oil into a small pan and heat. Add the sesame seeds and spread so that every piece touches the hot oil.
- Cook over medium heat for about 20 seconds or until one or two pieces pop (they will likely fly out of the pan).
- Add the scallions and chilies, stir and cook for half a minute.
- Sprinkle in the sugar.
- Pour in the soy sauce and rice wine vinegar.
- Cook until bubbly and the sugar is completely dissolved.
- Cool the dressing for about ten minutes.
- Place the wood ears and cucumber slices in a mixing bowl.
- Pour in the dressing, toss and serve.
