Spinach Ohitashi (Japanese Spinach Salad) ほうれん草のお浸し

• spinach1 bunch
• kosher/sea salt0 pinch
• water1.2 dl
• kombu (dried kelp)1 piece
• mirin1 msk
• usukuchi (light-color) soy sauce1 msk
• toasted white sesame seeds0 as needed
• katsuobushi (dried bonito flakes)0 as needed

METHOD

1. 01Gather all the ingredients.
2. 02To make Kombu Dashi: In a saucepan, combine water and kombu. Slowly bring it to a boil. Once boiling, immediately remove the kombu from the liquid.
3. 03To make Savory Broth: In the prepared Kombu Dashi, add mirin and usukuchi soy sauce. Mix together and once it boils, turn off the heat.
4. 04To prepare Spinach: Rinse the spinach thoroughly and bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil.
5. 05When the water is boiling, add the salt. Put the spinach into the pot, stem-side first, as it takes longer to cook. After 15 seconds, push down the leafy part into the water and cook for 1 minute.
6. 06Once the spinach is cooked through, quickly pick it up, roughly in less than 1 minute.
7. 07Transfer the cooked spinach to iced water to cool immediately (do not leave it too long to preserve nutrients).
8. 08As soon as it's cooled, collect the spinach and squeeze out excess water. If desired, collect the stems and leafy parts separately for presentation.
9. 09Cut the spinach into 1 ½ inch lengths and squeeze the water out one more time.
10. 10Place the spinach in an airtight container and pour the savory broth over it.
11. 11Ensure the spinach is evenly distributed and submerged in the sauce. Put the lid on and let it soak in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour (ideally 3-4 hours).
12. 12To Serve: Serve the spinach in a bowl and pour some of the soaking sauce over it. Ensure each bowl gets both spinach stem and leafy parts for visual contrast.
13. 13Sprinkle with toasted white sesame seeds for a vegan/vegetarian version, or katsuobushi (bonito flakes) for a non-vegan/vegetarian version.