Cucumber and Pineapple Salad with Lime and Peanuts

Dress the salad close to serving so the cucumber keeps its bite. Cut pineapple into small pieces so its sweetness is distributed through the bowl.

Estimated yield: 4 side portions. Estimated preparation: 15 minutes. No cooking. Equipment: knife, board and mixing bowl.

Ingredients

• 300 g cucumber
• 250 g peeled pineapple, cut into 1 cm pieces
• 1 small shallot, finely sliced
• 1 small red chilli, finely sliced, optional
• 2 tablespoons lime juice
• 1 teaspoon brown sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon fine salt
• 10 g mint leaves, torn
• 30 g roasted unsalted peanuts, roughly chopped

Method

1. Halve the cucumber lengthways. If the centre is very watery, scoop out the seeds. Slice into 5 mm half-moons.
2. Stir the lime juice, sugar and salt in a large bowl until dissolved. Taste: it should be tart, with enough sweetness to soften the lime.
3. Add the cucumber, pineapple, shallot and optional chilli. Toss to coat.
4. Fold in the mint and half the peanuts. Spoon onto a shallow plate, leaving excess liquid in the bowl, and finish with the remaining peanuts. Serve promptly.

Kitchen trial

Taste the pineapple before mixing. Confirm whether the added sugar is needed and test how quickly the cucumber releases water. Keep the peanuts separate until the final assembly.