Boil
Greens With Magical Sesame Salt From Andrea Nguyen
- Prep time 15 minutes
- Cook time 15 minutes
- Serves 4
Author Notes
To enjoy lots of vegetables, you need to have some tricks up your sleeve. One of mine is muoi me (sesame salt), an old fashioned, magical combination of three ingredients that instantly transforms the mundane into the special. When I was growing up, my mom always had some around for sprinkling onto rice for an aromatic, nutty seasoning. In this recipe, sesame salt functions like a dry sauce to enrich and make cooked leafy greens moreish (you want to eat more of it!)
Muoi me and cooked greens keep well for days, so, to save time during the week, I prep batches of the salt and vegetables ahead, selecting the freshest seasonal greens from Asian and farmers’ markets. It’s coasting from there” I simply return the greens to room temp, toss them with a bit of fish sauce and lime juice for savory tang, and then finish with the rich nuttiness of sesame salt. It’s a delicious side dish that I can put on repeat for perpetuity because I can vary the greens and sesame seeds. -Andrea Nguyen —Food52
Test Kitchen Notes
Reprinted from Ever-Green Vietnamese: Super-Fresh Recipes, Starring Plants from Land and Sea. Copyright © 2023 by Andrea Nguyen. Reprinted with permission from National Geographic Books.
For a variation: With Asian greens such as choy sum (aka yu choy, although choy sum technically should be younger and sweeter), steam 1 pound in batches for 2 to 2 minutes each. Cut the cooled greens into short pieces, drizzle lightly with soy sauce, and garnish with some sea salt. Present the remaining muoi me on the side for diners to sprinkle on as they eat. Choy Sum With Sesame Salt may be made with other stemmy greens, such as broccolini, gai lan, or broccoli rabe as well. -Andrea Nguyen —Food52
Ingredients
-
1/4 cup
toasted sesame seeds (any kind)
-
1/2 teaspoon
granulated sugar
-
1/3 teaspoon
kosher salt, plus more to taste
-
4 cups
(about 1 pound) lightly packed leafy greens such as water spinach, lacinato kale, collard greens or Swiss chard, include stems for texture
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1 teaspoon
baking soda
-
2 to 3 teaspoons
fish sauce (store bought) or soy sauce, plus more as needed
-
1
lime or lemon, halved
Directions
- Pound the sesame seeds: Using a mortar and pestle, stir, grind, and pound the sesame seeds, sugar, and salt into an aromatic, finely textured mixture. I usually stop when I can smell the nutty sesame. (If you don’t have a mortar and pestle, use a small food processor.)
- Prepare the greens: For spinach: In a Dutch oven or a 5-quart pot, bring salted water to a boil. Add baking soda. As soon as the delicate greens soften, about 1 to 2 minutes, drain in a colander. Dump the greens back into the pot, flood them with water to cool, and then re-drain. Cut into bite-sized pieces. For kale, collard greens, or swiss chard: Put ¼-inch of water in the bottom of a Dutch oven and add the prepped greens, 2 big pinches of sea salt, and baking soda. Toss the greens a bit to distribute. Cover and cook over medium heat, checking and stirring, for 6 to 10 minutes, until tender, depending on the greens. If needed, splash in more water. Remove from the heat and let cool.
- Put the cooked greens in a large bowl and season with the fish sauce, 1 teaspoon at a time. Using your fingers or tongs, work in the condiment so that it’s well distributed and there’s a slight savory hit when you taste the greens. To brighten the flavors, squeeze half of the citrus over the greens, tossing them with your fingers. Taste, and if they’re not lively enough, add more lime and fish sauce.
- Finally, sprinkle the sesame seed mixture over the greens and gradually work it in, repeatedly tossing to coat well. You may need nearly but not all of it; aim for a rich nutty flavor. When satisfied, pile the greens onto a platter and serve immediately.
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