Banchan

Instructions

1. Slice 100 g of cucumber into 3 mm rounds, put them in a bowl and toss with 0.5 tsp of the fine sea salt. Leave 15 minutes while you prepare the other two dishes, the salt draws out water so the dressing does not go watery.
2. Bring a medium pan of water to a rolling boil. Push 120 g of spinach under the water and blanch just 30 seconds, until the stems are limp but still green. Lift straight into cold water, then gather into a ball and squeeze firmly to wring out as much water as you can. Loosen the clump and cut through it twice.
3. Return the pan to the boil, add 100 g of soybean sprouts, put the lid on and boil 5 minutes without lifting the lid (opening it mid-cook is what makes sprouts taste beany). They should be tender with a slight snap. Drain and spread out to cool; do not rinse under cold water for long or they lose flavour.