I was making Hawaiian hamburgers and I did not think that a little green onion was enough vegetables for the meal. Pickled cucumbers seemed like a good side dish for these Asian-ish burgers. I had half an English cucumber and two hours before dinner—just enough time.

Karl’s Quick Pickled Cucumbers
Karl’s Quick Pickled Cucumbers
Ingredients
½ English cucumber or 1 Japanese cucumber
2 Tbs. rice vinegar, unseasoned
2 Tbs. mirin
1 Tbs. sugar
Pinch HonDashi granules
Pinch Kosher salt
½ tsp. Nori Komi Furikake
Directions
1. Wash the cucumber and slice into thin slices.
Tip: A mandoline is a very useful tool to make even slices.
2. Combine the vinegar, mirin, sugar, HonDashi, and salt in a small plastic bag.
Note: Seal and shake well to dissolve the sugar, HonDashi, and salt
3. Add the cucumbers to the bag and seal it again.
4. Shake the bag to coat all sides of the cucumber slices with the dressing.
5. Squeeze out the air, reseal the bag and place it in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours.
Tip: Shake the bag every half hour to redistribute the dressing over the cucumbers to get an even pickling.
Note: They will be ready to eat then, but their flavor will improve over time.
6. Drain the pickles and transfer them to individual small plates.
7. Lightly sprinkle each serving with some furikake.