Sichuan Cucumber Pickles (Vietnamese Quick Pickles) - cooking recipe

Ingredients

1 lb English cucumber, halved lengthwise and cut on the diagonal into -inch-thick slices
2 tablespoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and finely julienned
1 -2 fresh Thai chile, stemmed, seeded, and julienned
4 cups rice vinegar
1 1/4 cups sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons sambal chili paste, also known as sambal oelek
1/2 cup toasted sesame oil
1 tablespoon szechuan peppercorns
1/4 cup whole dried red chili, such as arbol

Preparation

In a bowl, toss together the cucumber slices and 1 teaspoon of the salt. Transfer the cucumbers to a colander and let drain in the sink for 2 hours.
Rinse the cucumbers briefly under cold running water and drain well. Transfer to a bowl, add the ginger and fresh Thai chiles; toss to mix. In a separate bowl, stir together the vinegar, sugar, sambal and the remaining 2 tablespoons salt until the sugar and salt have dissolved. Set aside.
In a small frying pan, heat the sesame oil over medium heat. Add the Sichuan peppercorns and toast for 10 seconds. Add the dried chiles and toast for 10 seconds longer, until the chiles darken slightly.
Pour the contents of the frying pan over the cucumbers, then add the vinegar solution and toss well. Let cool to room temperature, then cover and refrigerate. The pickles are ready to eat in 2 hours. They will keep, refrigerated, for up to 1 week.