Japanese cabbage salad with sesame dressing (Kyabetsu sarada)

1. Remove the cabbage's outer leaves, cut out the core and slice the leaves hair-thin with a sharp knife or mandoline; grate the carrot into thin strips.

2. Soak the cabbage and carrot in iced water for 5 minutes to crisp up, then drain thoroughly and spin dry.

3. Toast the sesame seeds in a dry pan until fragrant and grind coarsely in a mortar.

4. For the dressing, mix the ground sesame with the mayonnaise, rice vinegar, soy sauce and sesame oil until smooth.

5. Pile the cabbage and carrot loosely on a plate.

6. Drizzle the dressing over only when serving, or serve it in a separate small bowl.

Tip: In Japan, hair-thin raw cabbage is the must-have companion to fried dishes (tonkatsu, korokke). The iced water is the secret: it makes it fresh and crunchy.