Japanese smashed cucumber pickles

Wash and dry the cucumbers, halve them lengthwise and scoop out the seeds.

Lay each half cut side down and smash with the flat of a knife blade until the skin cracks and it is well bruised but still holds its shape. Break into pieces and cut into roughly two inch lengths.

Scrape the skin from a two inch piece of ginger with a spoon and slice it thinly.

Cut a four inch square of kombu, about 10 g.

Set a large container on a scale, add 1000 g of water and 30 g of salt and stir to dissolve; this is a 3% brine.

Add the smashed cucumbers, the kombu, the sliced ginger and the red chilies and mix briefly.

Press plastic wrap to the surface, lid the container and refrigerate at least 24 hours and up to three days.

Longer, say seven to 14 days, and lacto-fermentation begins; at 24 hours it is salted and savory rather than sour.

Toast 25 g of sesame seeds in a pan over medium heat, stirring and tossing, until darker but not burnt.

Cool the seeds a minute or two in a mortar and pestle, then crush lightly to a coarse powder.

Stir the sesame powder into about 20 g of soy sauce.

Lift the cucumbers out of the brine with a slotted spoon and toss with the sesame soy mixture to dress.

The leftover brine can take more cucumbers, or boneless chicken thighs for another meal.

Variation, 10-minute version: wash, halve, seed and smash the cucumbers as before. Weigh them in a bowl - 400 g here - and add 1.5% salt and 0.5% MSG, so 6 g of salt and 2 g of MSG. Mix and let sit to draw out water.

Variation: mince the ginger, take a smaller spoonful of chili flakes, toast and pound the sesame seeds and mix with soy sauce, then stir the ginger and chili flakes in too.

Variation: drain the water off the cucumbers, add them to the bowl and toss well before serving.