Drunken Cucumber Salad

As you may recall from my recipes like the Smashed Cucumber Salad and Spicy Pork With Smashed Cucumbers, I have a thing for smashing cucumbers. It's a technique that creates a ton of surface area for seasonings to adhere to and penetrate the cucumbers, ensuring every bite is infused with flavor.

These delightful marinated cucumbers straddle the line between a zesty quick pickle and a vibrant salad, offering a perfect balance of tangy, sweet, and savory notes brought to life with the warm zing of ginger. 

Dubbing them 'drunken' is a tad overstated since the alcohol from the mirin is fully evaporated, but mirin is the star of the dressing, imparting an earthy sweetness and nutty caramel flavor. This is why it's essential to use real brewed mirin for this. You want to look for one that's the color of honey, and be sure to check the ingredient label; authentic mirin will only contain rice and koji. 

Although they can be eaten as soon as they're prepared, I recommend letting these soak overnight in the fridge.