“This recipe was given to me when I cooked for an arts festival on Shodoshima Island in Japan last year,” says McConnell. “In a small fishing village, the locals cooked a welcome banquet for the artists, with yakitori, locally grown cucumbers and locally caught seafood. We stood around a barbecue at the community centre in the village, snacking on food on sticks.”
Ingredients
Method
Main
1.Peel strips off the cucumbers until half the skin is removed. Mix soy, vinegar and sugar in a bowl. Place cucumbers into a zip-lock bag with the vinegar mixture and marinate in the fridge (4 hours).
2.Remove cucumbers and pat dry. Toast sesame seeds in a hot dry frying pan on medium heat, stirring until they start to turn golden (2-4 minutes). Cool seeds on a plate, then roughly grind a coarse crumb with a mortar with a pestle. Thread cucumbers on bamboo skewers, roll in sesame crumbs to coat and serve.
Drink Suggestion: 2008 Meerea Park “Alexander Munro” Sémillon, Hunter Valley. Lively and crisp, the wine’s typical Hunter acidity can handle the vinegar in this dish, but also displays classic notes of lemon curd and toast. Drink suggestion by Leanne Altmann
Notes
