Original: English

Blanched Spinach with Dashi Broth (Horenso no Ohitashi)

Chef Masahiro Kasahara from Sanpi Ryōran shares his secrets to making the classic dish 'Blanched Spinach' exceptionally delicious with professional techniques. By carefully preparing it, the umami from the dashi broth will permeate, resulting in an exquisite flavor. Furthermore, two additional recipes using blanched spinach are proposed to enrich your daily meals.

Steps

Thoroughly wash 1 bunch of spinach with water to remove any sand from the roots.
🕒 02:17
Slightly trim the root ends of the washed spinach.
🕒 02:53
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
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
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
Add the root ends of the spinach to the boiling water and cook for about 10 seconds.
🕒 08:22
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
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
Align the root ends of the spinach and thoroughly squeeze out the water.
🕒 09:53
Add soy sauce to taste to the squeezed spinach and mix well.
🕒 10:40
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
Immerse the squeezed spinach in the cooled [A] dashi broth and let it marinate in the refrigerator for about 1 hour.
🕒 11:34
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
Store the blanched spinach in a container with the dashi broth and refrigerate for up to 5 days.
🕒 12:06
Cut half a bunch of blanched spinach into 5cm lengths, lightly squeeze out the dashi broth, and place in a bowl.
🕒 13:02
In a separate bowl, whisk together 2 eggs, 1 tsp of [B] soy sauce, and 1 tsp of [B] sugar.
🕒 13:17
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
Cook until semi-set, then remove from heat, plate, and sprinkle with a pinch of black pepper.
🕒 13:57
Thoroughly squeeze the dashi broth from the remaining half bunch of blanched spinach, cut into 3cm lengths.
🕒 14:26
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
Arrange on a plate and sprinkle with additional white sesame paste if desired.
🕒 15:05