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1
Prepare the ice-water bath in a large bowl before bringing the blanching water to the boil. This is not optional preparation — it must be in place before the greens enter the pot. Bring 4 litres of water to a full rolling boil and dissolve the sea salt into it until the water reaches approximately sea-water salinity.
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2
Lower the greens into the boiling salted water. Blanch young spinach for 45–90 seconds; mature spinach or komatsuna for 90–120 seconds. The greens are done when the colour has intensified to a brilliant, vivid green and the leaves yield with slight resistance — not raw-crunchy, not soft.
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3
This is where the dish lives or dies. The moment the greens are lifted from the boiling water, transfer them immediately into the ice-water bath. The transfer must be completed within 10 seconds. Chlorophyllase — the enzyme that turns cooked greens olive-drab — activates rapidly in the temperature range between boiling and cold. A 10-second delay produces a perceptible, irreversible colour change. The cold bath must be prepared and within arm's reach; it cannot be improvised after the fact.
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4
Leave the greens in the cold water until thoroughly chilled. Remove them and squeeze firmly between both hands, removing the maximum possible moisture. The squeezed bundle should be dense and dry enough to hold its shape when released. Insufficient squeezing dilutes both the dressing and the concentrated flavour of the green itself.
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5
Combine the dashi, light soy sauce, and mirin to make the dressing. Cut the squeezed bundles into serving lengths of approximately 4 cm. Arrange in small individual dishes and spoon 2–3 tablespoons of dressing over each portion — enough to coat, never to submerge. The green's own character should be foregrounded; the dressing is a frame, not a covering. The finished dish should taste of concentrated, clean green flavour with a whisper of umami and sweetness.