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Broccolini With Sesame Sauce and Lemon

5.0

(3)

Cooked broccolini topped with sesame sauce toasted sesame seeds and lemon slices on a dark blue serving plate.
Photo by Marcus Nilsson, Prop Styling by Kalen Kaminski, Food Styling by Rebecca Jurkevich

This steamed broccolini dressed with a salty-sweet sesame sauce was inspired by gomae, a Japanese spinach dish. It’s a bright and palate-cleansing; a perfect side for heavy winter dinners. You want the water to be heavily salted to properly season the broccolini. Two tablespoons per quart of water is a good rule of thumb.  

  

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Recipe information

  • Yield

    8 servings

Ingredients

6 bunches broccolini (about 3 lb. total), trimmed, halved lengthwise
Kosher salt
¼ cup tahini
2 Tbsp. white miso
1 Tbsp. low-sodium soy sauce
1 Tbsp. mirin (sweet Japanese rice wine)
1 Tbsp. unseasoned rice vinegar
1 tsp. toasted sesame oil
4 Tbsp. vegetable or other neutral oil, divided
2 tsp. honey, divided
½ lemon, seeds removed
Toasted sesame seeds (for serving)

Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Cook broccolini in a large pot of boiling salted water until bright green and crisp-tender, 5–7 minutes. Drain and transfer to paper towels.

    Step 2

    Meanwhile, mix tahini, miso, soy sauce, mirin, vinegar, sesame oil, 2 Tbsp. vegetable oil, 1 tsp. honey, and 2 Tbsp. water in a small bowl to combine; season sesame sauce with salt.

    Step 3

    Cut lemon lengthwise into quarters, then thinly slice crosswise. Toss in a small bowl with remaining 2 Tbsp. vegetable oil and remaining 1 tsp. honey; season lightly with salt.

    Step 4

    Spread sesame sauce on a platter and arrange broccolini on top. Scatter lemon over; sprinkle with sesame seeds.

    Step 5

    Do Ahead: Sesame sauce can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and chill. Bring to room temperature before using.

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