Spinach Gomae (Spinach with Sweet Peanut Sauce)
Oh, wow! It’s so green...Maybe it’s the peanuts on top of the spinach that does that. [Photo credit: Alex Paternostro]
by Seth Paternostro
November 8, 2021
Most people do not often think of spinach as a dessert. I, for one, usually do not. But why limit our minds with such conventions? Ming Tsai makes crème brûlée with foie gras, so we might as well explore the less savory side of our greens. This Japanese-inspired spinach dish is pleasantly sweet and best served cold. Like a sundae with sauce and plenty of nuts sprinkled on top, this verdant pile will please you, but rest assured that it most definitely will not leave you plump.
Serves 4
Total time
25 minutes, plus chilling
Equipment:
colander, mortar and pestle, small saucepan, sturdy nonreactive pan (preferably heavy, flat-bottomed wok or large skillet) with cover, mixing bowls, kitchen tongs, wooden spoon or silicone spatula, measuring spoons, tasting spoon
Tableware:
plates and utensils
Ingredients
1 pound spinach
3 tbsps coconut oil
3 tbsps salted crunchy peanut butter
4 tbsps water
4 tsps sugar
2 tsps rice vinegar
1 tsp soy sauce
1 tsp sake
Salted peanuts, as needed
Salt, as needed
Instructions
Set out all equipment, tableware, and ingredients. Rinse the spinach in a colander, removing any wilted leaves.
Crush the peanuts, but do not grind them to a powder or paste.
Dissolve the sugar in the water.
Preheat a saucepan over medium-low. Add the peanut butter, and cook until a shade darker but not brown. Stir constantly to avoid scorching. It will somewhat resemble a blonde roux.
Add the sake to the cooked peanut butter, then slowly pour in the sugar water, soy sauce, and rice vinegar, stirring constantly.
Remove from the heat. When fully cool, taste, then adjust as desired with salt, sugar, and vinegar.
Heat the coconut oil in a large pan over medium. When hot, drop in all of the spinach. Add a pinch of salt, toss, and cover. Let the spinach release liquid until darker in color and softened. Remove to a mixing bowl, then allow to cool fully. Taste, and adjust salt.
Form the spinach into neat mounds on the serving plates. Spoon the peanut sauce around the spinach. Sprinkle the crushed peanuts on top.
Serve cold.
NUTRITION FACTS:
Calories 225 Total Fat 17.8g (23%) Saturated Fat 9.8g (49%) Cholesterol 0mg (0%) Sodium 369mg (16%) Total Carbohydrate 11.5g (4%) Dietary Fiber 3.8g (14%) Total Sugars 5g Protein 7.4g Vitamin D 0mcg (0%) Calcium 122mg (9%) Iron 3mg (19%) Potassium 729mg (16%) - Note: Please read our Nutrition Disclaimer.
Seth Paternostro is a writer and recipe developer based in Chicago. He is a co-founder of Our American Cuisine and graduated summa cum laude from Princeton University with an A.B. in East Asian Studies. You can learn more about him here.
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