Instant pickled cucumber - Roy Choi

 MAKES ENOUGH FOR 2 TO SNACK

4 Persian cucumbers

2 teaspoons sea salt

2 star anise

2 teaspoons Asian sesame oil

2 teaspoons natural rice vinegar (not seasoned)

Pinch of sugar

1 tablespoon roasted and crushed sesame seeds

Pinch of kochukaru

Freshly cracked black pepper

Rinse your cukes, then dry them well. Slice them into thin rings on a slicer like a Japanese benriner or a mandoline, sprinkle with the salt, and place in a bowl.

Heat a pan over medium heat for 1 minute, then add the star anise, shaking the pan just until you smell the aroma of the spice. Add the cucumbers to the pan.

While the cucumbers are cooking, mix the sesame oil, vinegar, sugar, sesame seeds, and kochukaru in a small bowl, then add the mixture to the cucumbers in the pan.

Crack some black pepper from a pepper mill over the cucumbers and mix again. Cook for 1 minute more. Remove the cukes and sauce from the heat and scoop into a bowl.

Chill the bowl for 30 minutes, then snack.