The Smashed Chinese Cucumbers at JenChan’s are listed as an app, but I could make a meal of them, especially in the summer. What’s the secret to the delicious dressing? — Rick Floyd, Decatur
JenChan’s co-owner Emily Chan was happy to share this tangy dressing recipe that uses just a few ingredients. It makes 1 1/4 cups of dressing and can you can use as much or as little as you like. The remainder will store safely in the refrigerator for several weeks.
Most of the ingredients are available at a supermarket, but you’ll probably need to go to a store that carries Chinese groceries for the Chinkiang vinegar, a black vinegar made from rice and malt and typically used to dress cold salads. We found ours at the Buford Highway Farmers Market along with the lotus root for the garnish. In the produce section, we found steamed peeled lotus root in 1-pound vacuum-sealed packages. It comes both whole and sliced. We bought the whole roots so we could slice them thinly.
The C-Town Sauce is the house table sauce at JenChan’s and is available for purchase in 16-ounce bottles. It’s a spicy gluten-free sauce made with chiles, tamari, toasted sesame oil and pink peppercorns. Substitute with your preferred hot sauce to taste.
Pickled Lotus Root
Emily Chan says you can use whatever vinegar you prefer for these pickles: apple cider, white or rice vinegar. If you want the bright pink pickles you see in the photo, add a raw or cooked chopped beet to the pickling liquid.
From the menu of ... JenChan’s, 186 Carroll St. SE, Atlanta; 404-549-9843, jenchans.com.
Is there a recipe from a metro Atlanta restaurant you’d like to make at home? Tell us and we’ll try to get it. We’ll also test it and adapt it for the home kitchen. Because of volume, we can’t answer all inquiries. Send your request, your address and phone number to fromthemenu@gmail.com and put “From the menu of” and the name of the restaurant in the subject line.
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