Kani Salad (Japanese Crab Salad)
Ingredients
- 2 Japanese cucumbers or Persian cucumbers, 1 English cucumber
- salt 2% the weight of the cucumber
- 150 g imitation crab
- 4 tbsp canned sweet corn well-drained
- ½ tsp toasted sesame oil for garnish
- ground black pepper to taste
Dressing
- 3 tbsp Japanese mayonnaise or regular mayonnaise
- 1 tsp wasabi paste start with ½ tsp if sensitive to heat
- ½ tsp lemon juice
- ½ tsp Japanese soy sauce (koikuchi shoyu)
- ⅛ tsp dashi granules
Instructions
- Julienne 2 Japanese cucumbers and place them in a large mixing bowl with salt (2% the weight of the cucumber). Massage until evenly coated and sit in the fridge for 10 minutes.
- Shred 150 g imitation crab by hand into a new mixing bowl (preferably chilled).
- Take the cucumber from the fridge and squeeze thoroughly to remove excess water. Place them in the bowl with the crab, then add 4 tbsp canned sweet corn (well-drained), 3 tbsp Japanese mayonnaise, 1 tsp wasabi paste, ½ tsp lemon juice, ½ tsp Japanese soy sauce (koikuchi shoyu) and ⅛ tsp dashi granules.
- Use chopsticks or a fork to gently mix everything together.
- Transfer to serving containers and drizzle with ½ tsp toasted sesame oil and a crack of ground black pepper. Enjoy!
Notes
Choose seedless cucumbers (Japanese/English/Persian) or scrape seeds from other cucumbers.
Dampen your hands slightly with cool water when shredding kani to prevent it from sticking to your fingers.
Storage: Airtight container, 1-2 days maximum in the fridge. Store components separately when possible. Freezer is not recommended.
Meal Prep: Not suitable, this salad is best fresh. You can only premix the dressing up to 24 hours ahead.
Serving ideas: Hijiki Seaweed Salad, Japanese Wakame Salad, Goma-Ae Spinach, Salmon Crispy Rice Salad.
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