Crab & Cucumber Sunomono (Japanese Salad)

Ingredients (serves 2):

3 oz. cucumber, Japanese or Persian preferred
A pinch of salt
4 oz. crab meat, cooked, snow or king crab preferred

For Dressing:

1 Tbsp. rice vinegar
1 tsp. sugar
1/3 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. soy sauce
1 tsp. mirin (Japanese sweet rice wine)
1 tsp. water or ichiban dashi (see here)
1/8 tsp. grated fresh ginger

1

Put all ingredients for dressing in a small sauce pan, bring to a boil and set aside. Allow to cool.

2

Slice cucumbers thinly with a mandolin or a knife (if using American cucumber, peel and deseed before slicing). Place in a bowl, add a pinch of salt and mix well.

3

Check and remove any cartilages or shells from crabmeat and cut into bite size pieces.　

4

After dressing cools, squeeze out water from cucumbers and mix in half of the dressing.

5

Place cucumbers and crabmeat in a bowl, pour remaining dressing and mix well.

6

Serve in individual bowls for an authentic presentation.