Sesame seeds might seem a very small ingredient to tie together three such different recipes (you get between 250 and 300 seeds in every gram, after all) but they punch well above their little weight.
Whole sesame seeds come in a range of colours, from black or violet at one end of the spectrum to beige (if they are unhulled) or off-white (if they are hulled) at the other. The black seeds have slightly more flavour, but whichever I’m using, I always give them a gentle toast first, to draw out that nuttiness. (I’ve found it’s more reliable to do this in a 150C/300F/gas mark 2 oven for five minutes, because, when you toast them in a dry pan on the stovetop, some always seem to burn before the others have a chance to tan.)
Sesame oil, too, comes in a range of colours: darker oils are made with toasted brown seeds, and have a more pronounced flavour than lighter oils, which are made with untoasted white seeds and are used mostly as a seasoning, rather than as a cooking oil. Both keep very well, so stock up now and sow the seeds later.
Apple, kohlrabi and cucumber slaw
If I’m sprinkling sesame seeds on a salad, which I do often, I like to use a mixture of black and white, because that looks better, but if all you have is white, that’s fine. Allow this salad to sit dressed for an hour before serving, but without the herbs (add those just before serving). The vegetables will soften slightly and absorb the dressing; they’ll release some liquid into the bowl – just tip this out before adding the herbs. Serves six.
2 pink lady apples, cut into 2mm-thick half-moons (250g)
1 kohlrabi, peeled and julienned
1 cucumber, cut in half lengthways, deseeded, then flesh julienned
1 spring onion, trimmed and julienned
2 tsp sesame seeds
½ tsp Aleppo (or regular) chilli flakes
20g Thai basil leaves, torn (or coriander leaves)
15g mint leaves, torn
For the dressing
100g white miso
3cm piece ginger, peeled and grated
2 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
2 tbsp mirin
60ml rice vinegar
1½ tbsp light soy sauce
2 tsp sesame oil
About an hour before you want to eat, whisk the dressing ingredients in a large bowl, add the apple, kohlrabi, cucumber and spring onion, toss to coat, then set aside.
Meanwhile, gently toast the sesame seeds for four minutes, in a dry pan or a low oven, until golden-brown, then mix with the chilli.
Just before serving, mix the herbs into the salad, then pile the salad high on a platter, sprinkle with the sesame and chilli mix, and take to the table.
Sushi rice cakes with miso and ginger sauce
Makes 12 cakes, to serve six.
300g sushi rice
1 small 5g piece kombu
60ml rice vinegar
2 tbsp caster sugar
Salt
1 tsp sesame oil
1 tbsp cornflour
60ml groundnut oil
4cm piece ginger, peeled and julienned
25g dried shrimps
80g fresh shiitake mushrooms, trimmed and sliced 1-2mm thick
2 tbsp toasted sesame seeds
6 spring onions, trimmed and finely sliced
1 sheet nori, cut into 4 strips, then cut again widthways into 2- to 3mm-wide strips (scissors are by far the best tool)
For the miso and ginger sauce
3cm piece fresh ginger, peeled and finely grated
1½ tbsp light soy sauce
30g light miso
3 tbsp mirin
Put the sauce ingredients in a small saucepan with two tablespoons of water, and cook on a medium heat for two to three minutes, until the miso dissolves and the sauce thickens.
Put the rice in a large bowl of cold water and stir with your hands for 10 seconds, to help release the starch. Drain into a large sieve and run cold water over it for a few seconds. Return to the bowl, cover again with cold water, and repeat the process four or five times more, until the water in the bowl is almost clear. Put the rice back in the bowl, cover again with fresh water and leave to soak for 30 minutes. Drain a final time, then tip into a medium saucepan for which you have a lid. Add the kombu and 360ml water, cover and bring to a boil. Turn the heat to low and simmer for 15 minutes, resisting the urge to lift the lid or stir. Take off the heat and leave, still covered, for 10 minutes.
Put the vinegar in a small saucepan with the sugar and three-quarters of a teaspoon of salt, heat gently until the sugar dissolves, then take off the heat. Remove the lid from the rice – it should be soft and sticky – and discard the kombu. Pour the syrup and sesame oil all over the rice, and sprinkle over the cornflour. Using a spatula, carefully stir the rice so it’s all coated, cover again and leave for 15 minutes, to steam some more.
Meanwhile, heat a tablespoon of groundnut oil in a large frying pan on a medium-high flame. Once hot, fry the ginger and shrimp for two minutes, until the ginger starts to brown, then add the shiitake and fry, stirring often, for two to three minutes. Tip into a bowl and add the rice, sesame seeds, spring onions and nori. Mix well, then, with wet hands, divide the rice into 7cm-round patties that are 2-3cm thick.
Wipe clean the frying pan, heat a tablespoon and a half of oil, then fry half the patties for three to four minutes, turning them halfway, until golden-brown on both sides. Transfer to a plate lined with kitchen paper and repeat with the remaining rice cakes and oil. Serve hot with the miso and ginger sauce for dipping.
Sesame, date and banana steamed pudding
Serve this sweet, sticky pudding with lightly whipped double cream or cold pouring double cream. Serves six to eight.
50g tahini paste
75ml orange juice
8 Medjool dates, pitted and quartered
½ peeled banana, thinly sliced
120g unsalted butter, at room temperature, plus 10g extra to grease
150g caster sugar
2 eggs
200g self-raising flour
Salt
3 tbsp sesame seeds, toasted
For the caramel sauce
70g caster sugar
20g liquid glucose
2 tbsp sesame seeds, toasted
200ml double cream
Whisk the tahini and orange juice in a medium bowl, then stir in the dates and banana, and leave for 30 minutes.
Grease a one-litre pudding bowl (11cm at the base and 16cm at the rim) with butter and line the base with a circle of greaseproof paper.
For the sauce, put the sugar and liquid glucose in a small saucepan and warm on a medium-high heat for five to six minutes, gently swirling the pan and resisting the urge to stir. Once the sugar has melted and turned a dark golden brown, add the sesame seeds and cream, and stir for about a minute, until the caramel melts into the cream and the sauce thickens. Take off the heat, pour three tablespoons into the pudding bowl and put the rest to one side.
Put the butter and sugar in a food mixer with a paddle attachment. Whisk for two to three minutes, until light and fluffy, then add the eggs one at a time. Once combined, incorporate the flour and an eighth of a teaspoon of salt bit by bit, then whisk on a low speed to combine. Gently fold in the tahini and fruit mix and the sesame seeds, then spoon into the bowl on top of the sauce.
Cover the bowl with a sheet of parchment paper large enough generously to cover the top, leaving room for the pudding to expand, then cover again with a sheet of tin foil. Tightly tie on the sheets with string or an elastic band, taking it around the edge of the basin a few times, so the pudding is well and truly sealed in. Trim the paper and tin foil to leave only a 2cm overhang.
Put an upturned saucer or small plate in a large saucepan, half-fill the pan with water and bring to a boil. Carefully lower the pudding basin on top of the saucer (the water should come halfway up the sides), cover the pan with a tight-fitting lid, turn down the heat and leave to simmer gently for two hours (top up with boiling water, if need be).
Carefully lift the pudding from the water, let it sit for five minutes, then remove the parchment and foil, and invert on to a large plate. Spoon over three tablespoons of the reserved sauce (you may need to warm it up again, so it’s loose and runs down the sides) and serve with the rest of the sauce and some cream.
