Cucumber nests
============== 2026-06-28


Comment: This recipe comes from my niece Fabienne, who found it on social media, and I've modified it slightly. It's an ideal recipe for hot days, perfect as an appetizer or even as a side dish. I keep the ginger frozen and grate the desired amount.
Use a fairly large peeler or perhaps a cheese slicer; otherwise, it can be difficult to cut the middle slices of the cucumber. A mandoline seems ideal (be careful with your fingers!). Note that the cucumbers will release quite a bit of juice, so it's normal that there might seem to be very little marinade.

Serves 4

Ingredients:
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2 cucumbers

For the marinade:

2 tbsp soy sauce
4 tbsp mirin, or better yet, 2 tbsp mirin and 2 tbsp sweet mirin
1 tbsp sesame oil
1 tsp gochujang (Korean red chili paste)
1 tbsp sesame seeds
2 tbsp rice vinegar
1 clove garlic, grated
1/2 cm ginger, grated

Preparation:
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Using a potato peeler or mandoline, slice the cucumber into ribbons, removing the first and last layers (just the peel).

Stack 2 or 3 ribbons together and roll them into cylinders. Arrange them vertically in a container the same height as the rolls, leaving little space between them (the container should be the right size).

Make the marinade by mixing all the ingredients. Pour the marinade over the cucumber and refrigerate for about 2 hours.

Bingo!