Green beans with sesame dressing (Ingen no goma-ae)

1. Top and tail the green beans and cut them into 4 cm pieces.

2. Bring a pot of salted water to the boil and cook the beans for 2-3 minutes until bright green and crisp.

3. Plunge immediately into iced water, then drain and pat dry with kitchen paper.

4. Toast the sesame seeds in a dry pan until fragrant and grind in a mortar with the sugar to a rough paste.

5. Stir in the soy sauce and toss the beans in the dressing just before serving.

6. Serve in small bowls at room temperature.

Tip: Ingen no goma-ae uses the same sesame dressing as the spinach version – try it with broccoli or asparagus too. The longer you grind the sesame, the creamier the dressing gets.