Zest Salt Smashed Cucumber Salad with Crispy Garlic Oil

Difficulty: Easy | Prep: 10 min | Cook: 5 min | Total: 15 min | Serves: 4 | Dietary: Gluten-Free, Vegan

Cucumbers are cheap and crunchy this time of year and this is the fastest thing you can do with them. Smashing them instead of slicing gives the dressing something to hang onto, and Chooki's Zest Chicken Salt does two jobs here: it draws the water out first, then seasons the lot at the end. Fifteen minutes, and it goes with anything off the barbie.

Step 1: Smash and Salt

Lay the cucumbers on a board and press down hard with the flat of a big knife until they split open along their length. Tear them into rough bite-sized chunks with your hands, ragged edges and all, then toss with 1 teaspoon of the Zest Salt in a colander. Sit it over the sink for 10 minutes. A surprising amount of water comes out, and that water is the difference between a salad and a puddle.

Step 2: Crisp the Garlic

Put the sliced garlic and the oil in a small pan together while the pan is still cold, then set it over medium-low heat. Swirl it now and then for 3 to 4 minutes until the slices turn pale gold, then pull the pan straight off the heat. They keep cooking in the hot oil for another minute, so gold is the moment to stop, not brown.

Step 3: Toss and Serve

Shake the cucumber dry and tip it into a bowl with the vinegar, sugar and the last teaspoon of Zest Salt. Pour the warm garlic oil over the top, garlic slices and all, then add the chilli and coriander and toss it through. Eat it straight away while the cucumber is still cold and the oil is still warm.

Tip: Start the garlic in cold oil, not hot. It comes up slowly and evenly instead of scorching on the outside before the middle goes crisp.