The ohitashi method is such an elegant way to enhance the natural flavours of leafy greens, while also reducing food waste. This traditional Japanese technique involves blanching and chilling leafy greens, then steeping them in a simple seasoned broth that imparts a wonderful and rounded savoury umami flavour. Most recipes for such greens use just the leafy part, but with ohitashi the stems are cooked first.
Beetroot leaf ohitashi
Ohitashi is a wonderful way to prepare vegetables in advance, because the vegetables need to steep in a delicious broth for at least a few hours and up to five days, soaking up the marinade as they age. You can make ohitashi-style vegetables with just about any leafy greens: spinach, kale, chard, radish leaves, turnip tops or nettles.
Cooking greens quickly, then blanching them in iced water, is a classic chef’s trick that helps maintain their bright colour by halting the cooking process and preserving the chlorophyll. I cool blanched vegetables very quickly using a large tray of very cold water cooled with ice blocks (to save on ice) and prevent a loss of nutrients (and flavour!), which can happen when vegetables are steeped for an extended period.
Normally, to make the dashi/broth for ohitashi, a piece of kelp or kombu is infused in cold water for several hours, or brought to a boil then taken off the heat. I’ve suggested using other seaweed varieties such as wakame, hijiki or even seaweed salad mix, if you have it. And rather than discarding the seaweed, I keep it in the broth, which is why I’ve reduced the amount used so it isn’t overpowering; after all, seaweed is an acquired taste, so if you’re not used to it, consider removing it after steeping or using less. Alternatively flavour the water with miso.
2g dried kelp (kombu), or other seaweed (sea spaghetti, wakame, seaweed salad mix), or 1-2 tbsp miso, to taste
1-2 tbsp mirin, or rice-wine, white-wine or cider vinegar
1-2 tbsp light soy sauce, to taste
1 bunch beetroot leaves (about 250g), including the stalks, or other leafy greens (chard, kale, turnip tops), washed
Toasted sesame seeds, to serve
If you have some seaweed, first make a broth by pouring 120ml water into a glass jar or bowl, add the kombu and leave to soak for at least one hour, and ideally for five hours or overnight in the fridge. (If you want to speed up this process, bring the water and seaweed to a boil, then take off the heat and leave to cool). If you don’t have seaweed, stir miso to taste into 120ml water. Either way, once infused, add the mirin and light soy sauce to taste, bring to a boil, then turn off the heat.
Meanwhile, bring a large pan of water (or steamer) to a boil and have ready a bowl of iced water. Hold the bunch of greens stalk down in the boiling water (or steamer), keeping the leaves out of the water, cook for 60-90 seconds, then gently drop in the leaves, too, and cook for a further 30-60 seconds, until they are vivid and bright green. Lift out into the ice bath to cool, then, once cold, transfer the leaves to a clean towel and dab to soak up any excess water.
Keep the greens whole in all their glory or chop them into 5cm pieces for ease of eating. Lay them in a suitable container, cover with the broth, seal and refrigerate for at least a few hours and up to five days.
To serve, arrange the greens on a plate, drizzle over a little broth and a sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds.
