Wakame And Cucumber Salad - cooking recipe

Ingredients

1/2 cucumbers or 1 small japanese cucumber
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 ounce dried wakame seaweed
Dressing
3 tablespoons rice vinegar
3 tablespoons dashi (basic Japanese soup stock)
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon sugar or 1 teaspoon honey
1 teaspoon mirin (optional) or 1 teaspoon sake (optional)

Preparation

If using an ordinary cucumber, halve it lengthwise and scrape out the seeds; Japanese cucumbers do not need to be deseeded. Cut the cucumber into paper-thin slices. Place the slices in a bowl with water to cover, add the salt, and set aside to soak for 20 minutes.
Soak the wakame in lukewarm water for 20 minutes; it will swell and become a rich glossy green. Drain and plunge briefly into boiling water, then rinse in cold water to give it a more intense color. Drain well and pat dry. With a sharp knife trim away the tough stem and chop the wakame coarsely. Drain the cucumber and pat dry.
Combine the dresssing ingredients in a small saucepan and heat to dissolve the sugar or honey; remove from the heat immediatel;y and chill. Combine the cucumber and wakame and pour the chilled dressing over it just before serving. Toss gently. Arrange neat mounds of the salad in individual bowls.