Smashed Cucumber Salad with XO Sauce Dressing
Cucumbers smashed with the flat of a cleaver, lightly salted to draw out water, then tossed in a dressing built on XO sauce — the Hong Kong condiment of dried scallops, shrimp, chilli, and Jinhua ham — with black rice vinegar and sesame oil. Fuchsia Dunlop documents the original smacked cucumber (pai huang gua) in both Land of Plenty and Every Grain of Rice as a classic Sichuanese cold dish, but the XO dressing variant brings it into Cantonese-influenced territory, reflecting the cross-regional conversations that define modern Chinese home cooking. The smashing technique, rather than slicing, creates uneven surfaces that trap the dressing.
Ingredients (serves 4)
| Ingredient | Amount |
|---|---|
| Cucumbers (English or Persian) | 4 medium |
| Salt | 1 tsp |
| Garlic, minced | 2 cloves |
| Toasted sesame seeds | 1 tbsp |
| Cilantro | small handful |
| For XO sauce dressing | |
| XO sauce (store-bought or homemade) | 2 tbsp |
| Chinese black rice vinegar (Chinkiang) | 2 tbsp |
| Light soy sauce | 1 tbsp |
| Toasted sesame oil | 1 tsp |
| Chilli oil with sediment | 1 tbsp (or to taste) |
| Sugar | ½ tsp |
| Rice vinegar | 1 tsp |
Method
- Prepare the dressing: stir together XO sauce, black vinegar, soy sauce, sesame oil, chilli oil, sugar, and rice vinegar. Taste — it should be intensely savoury, smoky, tangy, and spicy. Adjust as needed. Set aside.
- Place cucumbers on a chopping board. Lay the flat of a cleaver or a heavy frying pan on each cucumber and press down firmly to split and crack the flesh. Chop into rough 4 cm pieces at a slight diagonal.
- Toss the smashed cucumber pieces with 1 tsp salt in a colander. Set over a bowl and rest 15 minutes to draw out water. Pat thoroughly dry with kitchen paper.
- In a mixing bowl, combine cucumber pieces and minced garlic. Pour over the XO dressing and toss to coat. Taste and adjust.
- Transfer to a serving plate. Scatter sesame seeds and cilantro. Serve immediately — the cucumbers should be cold and crisp.
Notes
- Do not let the cucumbers sit in the dressing for more than 10–15 minutes or they will become soggy.
- Good XO sauce makes or breaks this dish; Lee Kum Kee XO sauce is a reliable starting point.
- For a version closer to Fuchsia Dunlop’s Sichuanese original, substitute the XO dressing with just chilli oil, black vinegar, soy sauce, and sesame oil — no XO.
- Add cold hand-pulled (or store-bought) chicken to make this a main course.
Dressing: XO-Sauce-Dressing