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1
Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil and salt it lightly; prepare a bowl of ice water alongside. Add the spinach and blanch for 30–45 seconds only, so the leaves wilt fully and hold that vivid, intense green rather than sliding toward the dull olive and slick texture that another minute would bring. The spinach is ready the moment the colour deepens and every leaf has collapsed — pull it without hesitation.
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2
Drain the spinach immediately and transfer it to the ice water, leaving it until completely cold so the carry-over heat cannot continue cooking the leaves and softening them further. Drain again, gather into a tight bundle, and squeeze with both hands firmly and repeatedly until no further water can be extracted. The bundle should feel dense and almost dry to the touch; any moisture left behind will dilute the dressing and produce a watery namul.
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3
In a small bowl, loosen the doenjang with the sesame oil, working them together until the paste has thinned to a cohesive dressing, so the doenjang spreads evenly through the spinach rather than clinging in dense, uneven clumps. Add the minced garlic, sesame seeds, and gochugaru. The dressing should smell earthy and pungent, with the sesame oil rounding the fermented sharpness — this balance, where no single element dominates, is where the dish lives or dies.
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4
Separate the squeezed spinach into individual leaves before placing it in the mixing bowl, so the dressing can reach every strand rather than sitting on the outside of a compressed mass. Add the dressing and toss thoroughly, working the paste into every strand until the spinach carries a uniform pale brown gloss; taste to confirm the spinach's mineral quality remains present beneath the doenjang's earthiness. Serve immediately, or rest overnight refrigerated — the paste penetrates the spinach and the flavours integrate further.