(raw vegan)
Oshitashi is a simple, classic Japanese spinach “salad” dish that is traditionally prepared by boiling or wilting spinach, squeezing out the water, then rolling it in a bamboo mat like maki rolls before slicing it into bite sized pieces. It is then finished with a mixture of mirin and soy sauce and topped with a sprinkling of sesame seeds and served cold.
No need to boil spinach to make great oshitashi, and why would one want to cook out all of the fabulous, delicate nutrients?
Just take a large bowl of baby spinach (11 oz) and marinate it in equal portions of mirin and nama shoyu (about 1/2 cup total) for about 3 hours until it’s completely wilted to the appearance of that of cooked.
Squeeze out the liquid and roll with a bamboo sushi mat covered in plastic (this is optional, it just makes it look prettier), then cut into bite-sized portions. Take about 3 tablespoons of the marinade (now containing water that once belonged to the spinach) and concentrate it with a little more nama shoyu and mirin to taste. Pour about a teaspoon over each oshitashi portion.
Finish with a drizzling of sesame oil, some grated ginger for zip, and a sprinkling of sesame seeds. Serve cold or at room temperature.
<3, JMK
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