GREEN BEANS GOMA-AE

INGREDIENTS:

Green Beans

227 grams Green beans
1000 grams Water
30 grams Sea salt

Black Sesame Sauce

50 grams Black sesame seeds
15 grams Soy sauce
15 grams Mirin
15 grams Molasses

Garnish

Bean sprouts or pea tendrils (to taste)

INSTRUCTIONS:

1
PREPARING THE BEANS. Trim off the fibrous stem end of the beans with a knife. Cut them into roughly equal lengths. About 1.5" long.
2
BLANCHING THE BEANS. Bring the water to a boil. Once the water is boiling add the salt. The water should taste almost like the ocean. The salinity of the water in this recipe is 3%. The ocean is approximately 3.5%. This level of salinity will ensure that the beans are properly seasoned despite the short cooking time.
3
TOASTING THE SESAME SEEDS. Place a small pan over medium-low heat. Add the sesame seeds and cook them, shaking the pan or stirring them from time to time. When the seeds are fragrant remove the pan from the heat.
4
MAKING THE SAUCE. Transfer the warm sesame seeds to a mortar and pestle and add the soy sauce, mirin, and molasses. Grind the mixture until the texture is coarse like potting soil. The image for the finished dish is beans on the vine emerging from the soil. Nature is the inspiration.
5
SERVING. Combine the beans and half of the sauce in a mixing bowl, and gently fold them together with your hands. Taste as you go. If the flavor is too light, add more of the sauce. When the flavors are balanced, divide the dressed beans equally into four shallow serving bowls, piling them in the center. Clip a few fresh sprouts or tendrils and scatter them over the top of each pile and serve.

Note

STORAGE. If there are any leftovers you can refrigerate them and eat them the next day. The color and the flavor both hold up well for 24 hours or so. The dish is best when eaten at room temperature, so remember to take them out 60-90 minutes before eating to allow the beans to come to temperature.

SUBSTITUTIONS. This sauce works well with all sorts of vegetables. Don't be afraid to experiment. My fallback when beans are out of season is some variety of hearty leafy greens like spinach or Swiss chard.