Greens With Magical Sesame Salt

Preparation

1. Step 1

   If ¼ cup toasted sesame seeds don’t look or smell very toasted, heat in a dry small skillet over medium-low until nutty-smelling (taste if using black sesame seeds), 2–3 minutes. Place sesame seeds, ½ tsp. sugar, and ¼ tsp. Diamond Crystal or Morton kosher salt in a mortar and pestle and pound until fragrant and finely textured. (Or use a mini processor if you don’t have a mortar and pestle.)

   Step 2

   Combine 3–4 (lightly packed) cups room-temperature cooked leafy greens (such as water spinach, Tuscan kale, collard greens, or Swiss chard with stems) and 2 tsp. fish sauce or soy sauce in a large bowl and toss to work fish sauce into greens. Squeeze juice from 1 lime half over and toss again to coat. Taste and add more fish sauce, salt, and/or lime juice if needed.

   Step 3

   Sprinkle sesame seed mixture over greens a little at a time, tossing and working in with your hands to coat well. Add sesame mixture until greens taste rich and nutty (you may need most if not all of it). Transfer greens to a platter to serve.