Spinach Gomaae – Japanase Spinach Salad

• 1 bunch Spinach, Picked Over, Washed, Stems Trimmed To 2-3"
• 1/4 cups Sesame Seeds, Roasted
• 3 teaspoons Sugar
• 5-1/2 Tablespoons Soya Sauce
• 2 Tablespoons Sake (Japanese Rice Wine)

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to the boil. Fill a large bowl with cold water and ice.
2. Add the spinach to the boiling water and cook for 1 minute. Quickly remove the leaves with tongs and immerse them in the ice water to halt the cooking and preserve the bright green colour. Once cool, gently roll the spinach in a clean towel. Squeeze gently and set aside to dry.
3. Grind the sesame seeds to a paste in a spice/coffee grinder or mortar and pestle. Dissolve the sugar in 1 tablespoon of very hot water. In a small bowl, combine the sesame paste, sugar, soya sauce and sake.
4. Cut the spinach into 2" lengths. To serve, pile a small amount of spinach on the plate and drizzle with the sesame dressing. Garnish with sesame seeds or Gomashio.
5. Leftover dressing will keep, covered, in the fridge for up to 5 days.
6. Tips:
7. When you salt water for cooking, it should taste salty.
8. I tried this with black sesame seeds. It tastes the same, but the colour is, as you'd expect, muddy.

washed, ubc, sugar, soya sauce

Taken from tastykitchen.com/recipes/salads/spinach-gomaae-e28093-japanase-spinach-salad/ (may not work)