You can use this technique for radish (especially daikon), eggplant, zucchini, even cabbage; salting time will vary, but in every case you will wind up with an ultra-crisp vegetable that is great as a snack, a garnish, or an addition to salads and soups.

　　

Ingredients

4 servings

　　4 cucumbers, about 1 1/2 pounds, peeled if necessary

　　1 tablespoon coarse salt

　　

Step 1

Cut the cucumbers in half lengthwise, then scoop out the seeds with a spoon. Slice thinly (a mandoline is best for this), then toss with the salt and put in a colander; let drain (over a bowl or in the sink) for 10 to 20 minutes.

　　

Step 2

Rinse, drain, and wring dry in a towel. Use immediately or wrap in plastic and refrigerate for up to a day.

　　

Quick Salted Vegetables with Mirin and Soy

Step 3

In step 2, after drying, toss the cucumbers or other vegetables with 2 teaspoons rice vinegar, 1/2 teaspoon dark sesame oil, 1 tablespoon soy sauce, and 1 teaspoon mirin.

　　The Best Recipes in the World by Mark Bittman. © 2005 by Mark Bittman. Published by Broadway Books. All Rights Reserved.MARK BITTMAN is the author of the blockbuster The Best Recipes in the World (Broadway, 2005) and the classic bestseller How to Cook Everything, which has sold more than one million copies. He is also the coauthor, with Jean-Georges Vongerichten, of Simple to Spectacular and Jean-Georges: Cooking at Home with a Four-Star Chef. Mr. Bittman is a prolific writer, makes frequent appearances on radio and television, and is the host of The Best Recipes in the World, a 13-part series on public television. He lives in New York and Connecticut.