Banchan

Method

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.