The simple smashed cucumber salad is a perennially popular appetizer in Chinese restaurants, but Jing Gao, founder of chili crisp brand Fly By Jing, likes to add layers to zhuzh it up. One of her favorite ways to incorporate textural contrast is to toss in slippery, chewy pieces of yuba, or tofu skin. Look for the ingredient in dried sheets at your local Asian supermarket, or online. If you can find fresh tofu skin, that also works well (just skip step one).
Adapted with permission from The Book of Sichuan Chili Crisp: Spicy Recipes and Stories from Fly By Jing’s Kitchen by Jing Gao, copyright © 2023. Published by Ten Speed Press, an imprint of Penguin Random House.
Featured in “A New Kind of Asian Grocer Has Arrived,” by Megan Zhang.
Yield: 4 140 gram dried tofu skin, cut into 1-in. pieces 3 small cucumbers ½ tsp. kosher salt 1¼ tsp. sugar, divided 1 Tbsp. Sichuan chili crisp 1 Tbsp. light soy sauce 1 Tbsp. Chinese black vinegar 2 tsp. toasted sesame oil 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped Sesame seeds and finely chopped cilantro leaves, for garnish Instructions Fill a medium pot about halfway with water and bring to a boil. Add the yuba and cook over high heat until they soften and
