The recipe for these actually made my mouth water and I immediately got the ingredients so that I could make them at once. My first batch didn't taste quite how I wanted them to which would explain my delay in posting the recipe, for those of you who subscribe to my blog and saw these mentioned in the weekly newsletter a few weeks ago.
I adapted the recipe so as to simplify things for myself but think that my version is absolutely fantastic. Admittedly I have a Szechuan pepper addiction but I have had to deliberately hide these pickles behind other things in the fridge. As soon as I see the jar, I have to have one.
2 lbs cucumbers, unwaxed and washed well
1 tablespoon salt
2 garlic cloves, peeled and sliced into rough julienne strips
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 Tbsp sesame oil
6 dried chili peppers
1 tsp Szechuan peppercorns
1 thumb sized piece of ginger, peeled and sliced into rough julienne strips
2 Tbsps soy sauce
2 tsps brown sugar
1 Tbsp rice wine vinegar
Slice the cucumbers into six pieces lengthwise. If using large ones, cut each piece into half, also lengthwise.
Put the salt in a large bowl. Add the cucumber pieces and mix well. Set aside for an hour after which rinse well and dry.
Put 1/4 cup of the oil in a skillet along with the garlic, ginger, Szechuan peppercorns and dried chili peppers. Cook over low heat for 3-5 minutes until the peppers are fragrant and the ginger and garlic pieces are sizzling. If you love garlic, feel free to add more; the original recipe calls for five cloves.
Remove from heat. Add the sesame oil, the soy sauce, the gochugang, sugar and rice wine vinegar and stir to combine. The residual heat from the oil should melt the sugar.
Place the cucumber pieces tightly in a container. Pour over the warm liquid. Top up with as much of the remaining 1/4 cup of oil is needed to cover the cucumber. Firmly screw on the lid and shake to combine the oils and to distribute ginger, garlic, peppercorns and chili.
Tasted good at dinner when made in the afternoon and even better the next day. Should be refrigerated and in the unlikely even that you have any left, discarded after 2 weeks.
Inspiration recipe, here.