Japanese spinach with roasted sesame seeds

Ingredients for 4 servings:

• ½ kg leaf spinach
• 2 tbsp oil (sesame oil from roasted sesame seeds, not cold-pressed!)
• 2 tbsp sesame seeds
• 1 tbsp soy sauce
• ½ tsp sugar
• 1 tsp vinegar (rice vinegar or balsamic vinegar)
• 1 clove(s) garlic
• 1 shallot(s)

Instructions

Working time approx. 30 minutes; Total time approx. 30 minutes

Wash the spinach and blanch it for 10 minutes in boiling salted water. Make sure there’s enough water in the pot; if not, blanch the spinach in smaller batches (in the same water). Rinse the spinach with cold water and drain, or squeeze out the water thoroughly. Cut into approximately 1cm wide strips and place them in a sieve for a final drain. Toast the sesame seeds in a dry pan, constantly tossing and shaking them, making sure they’re just turning a nice brown, but not black (this is the most careful part of the recipe). Peel the shallot and garlic and finely dice them (do not press the garlic). Sauté in hot sesame oil over medium heat until translucent. Add the spinach, toasted sesame seeds, soy sauce, vinegar, and sugar, and let it simmer for about 10 minutes at low heat. Add more or less soy sauce to taste. At this stage, the whole thing still tastes a bit like numb feet. Only after the spinach has cooled thoroughly (this takes about 1-2 hours in the refrigerator) can it be enjoyed. So don’t add any more seasoning too quickly.