Name: Spicy cucumber salad
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 30 min
Yield: 4
Cuisine: Asian
Ingredients: 1 large cucumber peeled; 1 tsp golden caster sugar; 1 tbsp rice white wine vinegar; 2 tbsp soy sauce; 1 tbsp sesame oil; small knob of ginger finely chopped; 2 garlic cloves finely chopped; 1 large red chilli halved, deseeded and finely sliced; 2 spring onions finely sliced; large handful coriander leaves; 1 tbsp olive oil; 4 chicken breasts skin on

For the cucumber salad

1 large cucumber
peeled
1 tsp golden caster sugar
1 tbsp rice white wine vinegar
2 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp sesame oil
small knob of ginger
finely chopped
2 garlic cloves
finely chopped
1 large red chilli
halved, deseeded and finely sliced
2 spring onions
finely sliced
large handful coriander
leaves

For the chicken

1 tbsp olive oil
4 chicken breasts
skin on

Method

step 1
Slice the cucumber in half lengthways and use a teaspoon to scoop out the seeds. Slice cucumber into thick diagonal chunks. Tip it into a bowl and sprinkle with the sugar, vinegar and large pinch of salt. Leave for about 30 mins in the fridge. Meanwhile, tip the other salad ingredients into a bowl. Drain the cucumber and tip in with the rest of the ingredients.
step 2
Heat a griddle pan or heavy-bottomed frying pan until hot, but not smoking. Rub the chicken with oil, season with salt and pepper and sear, skin-side down, for about 8 mins until the skin is crisp and brown and the chicken is practically cooked. Flip the chicken over and give it a few mins more on the flesh side to finish it off. Leave the chicken to rest, then slice each breast on an angle and serve with a pile of cucumber salad.