Steps

1. Thoroughly wash 1 bunch of spinach with water to remove any sand from the roots.
   🕒 02:17
2. Slightly trim the root ends of the washed spinach.
   🕒 02:53
3. Place the spinach in a bowl of water with the roots facing down and soak for about 1 hour to make it crisp. [Key Tip!] Soaking in water allows it to cook quickly and become crisp and delicious.
   🕒 03:08
4. In a pot, combine 200cc of dashi broth, 1.5 tbsp of [A] soy sauce, and 1.5 tbsp of [A] mirin (sweet rice wine). Bring to a boil and let it cool. [Key Tip!] Aim for a ratio of 10:1:1 for dashi, soy sauce, and mirin. Boiling and then cooling the mirin removes the alcohol, allowing the flavors to meld and create a unified taste.
   🕒 03:32
5. Boil plenty of water in a separate pot and add about 1% salt. [Key Tip!] Adding salt raises the boiling point, allowing vegetables to be cooked at a higher temperature, which prevents their flavor from escaping into the water. Add enough salt so it tastes noticeably salty.
   🕒 07:33
6. Add the root ends of the spinach to the boiling water and cook for about 10 seconds.
   🕒 08:22
7. Submerge the rest of the spinach and cook for another 10 seconds. [Key Tip!] Spinach contains oxalic acid, so blanching removes bitterness and is a healthy cooking method. Cooking from the root ensures even heat distribution.
   🕒 08:37
8. Immediately transfer the blanched spinach to an ice bath and let it soak in cold water for about 10 minutes. [Key Tip!] Plunging into ice water prevents the color from fading and stops the cooking process. Soaking for 10 minutes further removes oxalic acid.
   🕒 08:58
9. Align the root ends of the spinach and thoroughly squeeze out the water.
   🕒 09:53
10. Add soy sauce to taste to the squeezed spinach and mix well.
    🕒 10:40
11. Squeeze out the water again from the seasoned spinach. (Soy Sauce Rinse) [Key Tip!] This 'soy sauce rinse' (also known as 'mura-arai') further removes excess moisture, imparts a soy sauce aroma, and tightens the flavor.
    🕒 10:58
12. Immerse the squeezed spinach in the cooled [A] dashi broth and let it marinate in the refrigerator for about 1 hour.
    🕒 11:34
13. Just before serving, cut the spinach into bite-sized pieces, arrange them on a plate, and top with bonito flakes (katsuobushi) to taste.
    🕒 11:59
14. Store the blanched spinach in a container with the dashi broth and refrigerate for up to 5 days.
    🕒 12:06
15. Cut half a bunch of blanched spinach into 5cm lengths, lightly squeeze out the dashi broth, and place in a bowl.
    🕒 13:02
16. In a separate bowl, whisk together 2 eggs, 1 tsp of [B] soy sauce, and 1 tsp of [B] sugar.
    🕒 13:17
17. Heat 1 tbsp of vegetable oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Add the chopped spinach and the egg mixture, stirring to create a fluffy scramble.
    🕒 13:28
18. Cook until semi-set, then remove from heat, plate, and sprinkle with a pinch of black pepper.
    🕒 13:57
19. Thoroughly squeeze the dashi broth from the remaining half bunch of blanched spinach, cut into 3cm lengths.
    🕒 14:26
20. Place the cut spinach in a bowl, add 0.5 tbsp of [C] soy sauce, 1 tbsp of [C] sugar, and 1 tbsp of [C] white sesame paste, and mix well.
    🕒 14:37
21. Arrange on a plate and sprinkle with additional white sesame paste if desired.
    🕒 15:05