Blistered Salted Edamame with Toasted Sesame Salt

By Sprig Originals ✓ · cooked up in Sprig

The bar-snack bowl of salted soybean pods, upgraded with two small moves that change everything: the pods are boiled in aggressively salted water so the beans inside season from the outside in, then blistered in a smoking-hot dry skillet until the shells char in spots and taste faintly of the grill. A hand-crushed sesame-and-flaky-salt sprinkle clings to the damp pods, so every pod you pull through your teeth delivers a hit of nutty salt before the sweet bean. Ten minutes, one skillet, no special ingredients beyond a bag of frozen edamame.

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 lb frozen edamame in the pod (about 6 cups)
• 3 tbsp kosher salt, for the boiling water
• 2 quarts water
• 2 tsp neutral oil, such as grapeseed or canola

• 1 1/2 tbsp white sesame seeds
• 1 1/2 tsp flaky sea salt, such as Maldon
• 1/4 tsp shichimi togarashi or crushed red pepper (optional)

• 1 tsp toasted sesame oil
• 1 clove garlic, grated
• 1 wedge lime, for squeezing

Instructions

1. Make the sesame salt first: put the sesame seeds in a dry skillet over medium heat and toast, shaking often, for 2 to 3 minutes, until they turn pale gold and smell nutty. Tip them onto a plate to stop the cooking and cool for 2 minutes.
2. Crush the toasted seeds coarsely with the flaky sea salt in a mortar and pestle, or by pressing them under the flat bottom of a heavy glass on a cutting board. You want most seeds cracked open, not powdered. Stir in the shichimi togarashi if using and set aside.
3. Bring 2 quarts of water to a rolling boil in a large pot and add the 3 tablespoons kosher salt — the water should taste unmistakably salty, like seawater. Add the frozen edamame all at once.
4. Boil for 4 to 5 minutes from the moment the water returns to a boil, until a test pod pops open easily and the bean inside is bright green and tender with just the faintest bite. Do not cover the pot; that dulls the color.
5. Drain the edamame in a colander and shake it hard 4 or 5 times to knock off excess water. Leave the pods slightly damp — that moisture is what the sesame salt sticks to.
6. Set a large cast-iron or heavy stainless skillet over high heat until a drop of water skitters and evaporates instantly, about 2 minutes. Add the neutral oil and swirl to coat.
7. Add half the edamame in a single layer (crowding steams instead of chars) and cook, undisturbed, for 60 to 90 seconds, until the shells blister and take on dark spots. Toss once and blister 60 seconds more, then transfer to a serving bowl. Repeat with the second batch.
8. If using the optional finish, kill the heat, return all the edamame to the hot skillet, and toss for 20 seconds with the sesame oil and grated garlic — just long enough to smell it, not long enough to brown the garlic.
9. Pile the edamame into a wide bowl, shower with the toasted sesame salt, and toss with your hands or two spoons so the salt coats the pods. Squeeze the lime wedge over the top and serve warm, with an empty bowl alongside for spent shells.

Chef's tips

Nutrition (per serving, estimated)

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