Chef Kim Sun-young's Hanjeongsik Cucumber Salad

Ingredients−2servings+

• Cucumber2
• Onionhalf
• Vinegar3 tablespoons
• Sugar1 tablespoon
• Sesame Oil1.5 tablespoons
• Gochugaru2.5 tablespoons
• Gochujang1.5 tablespoons
• Minced Garlic1 tablespoon
• Soy Sauce1 tablespoon
• Tuna extract sauce (chamchi-aek)1 tablespoon
• Oligo syrup (oligodang) Syrup1 tablespoon
• Toasted Sesame Seeds1 tablespoon

Directions▶ Start cooking

1. Slice the cucumbers into uniform thickness and place them in a bowl.
2. Add 3 tablespoons of vinegar and 1 tablespoon of sugar to the cucumbers and marinate for 20 minutes.⏱ 20m
3. Slice half an onion and add it to the cucumbers, marinating for an additional 10 minutes.⏱ 10m
4. Drain the marinated cucumbers and onions using a sieve to remove excess water.
5. Add 1.5 tablespoons of sesame oil to the drained cucumbers and onions, and mix well to coat them first.
6. In a separate bowl, combine the Gochugaru, Gochujang, minced garlic, soy sauce, tuna extract sauce (chamchi-aek), oligo syrup (oligodang), and toasted sesame seeds to make the seasoning sauce.
7. Add the seasoning sauce to the coated cucumbers and onions, and mix thoroughly to finish.

Tips

• When marinating cucumbers, using salt can draw out moisture and reduce their crispness. Therefore, use vinegar and sugar instead of salt.
• Coating the cucumbers and onions with sesame oil first prevents them from becoming watery over time.
• Marinate the cucumbers for 20 minutes, then add the onion and marinate for an additional 10 minutes, for a total of 30 minutes.

🧑‍🍳 Recipe analysis notes

Supplementary notes from the video analysis. Please check the original video before cooking.

⚠️ Where this goes wrong

• If you don't stick to the salting time for the cucumber and onion, they can turn soggy.
• If you don't squeeze the salted cucumber and onion well, the salad will taste watered-down and release a lot of liquid.
• Skipping the toasted sesame oil coating on the cucumber and onion before seasoning lets water seep out over time.

🔄 Substitutions

• No tuna extract sauce (chamchi-aek)? Use 0.5 tbsp anchovy fish sauce or 0.5 tbsp soup soy sauce (guk-ganjang) for savory depth.
• Instead of oligo syrup (oligodang), use 1 tbsp corn syrup or 0.8 tbsp sugar to adjust the sweetness.
• No minced garlic? Use 0.5 tbsp garlic powder for that garlicky note.

🎚️ Adjusting the taste

• For less heat, cut the gochugaru by 1 tbsp and the gochujang by 0.5 tbsp, then taste.
• For less salt, reduce the soy sauce and tuna extract sauce by 0.5 tbsp each, and adjust the gochujang amount too.
• For less sweetness, use only 0.5 tbsp sugar when salting the cucumber and cut the oligo syrup in the sauce to 0.5 tbsp.

✔️ Verification notes

• After salting the cucumber and onion, drain them in a sieve and make sure the liquid has drained off well.
• Taste the seasoning sauce before mixing it with the cucumber and onion to check the balance.

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