This recipe has quickly blanched asparagus and bok choy that stay crisp and colorful. Add the tangy miso chive dressing and the dish takes on a sweet, crunchy, and tangy flavor. It is quick side dish for any meal. Try it with slow roasted salmon on a bed of rice or greens.
The miso and chive dressing is modified from Flavor by Yotam Ottolenghi and Ixta Belfrage. I like a little less mirin and a little more rice wine vinegar than they suggest. I love this dressing on fish, vegetables, and tofu. It is especially wonderful with asparagus and bok choy.
1 pound asparagus, tough end broken off and discarded
1 pound baby bok choy, cut in half lengthwise
Miso Chive Dressing
1/2 ounce (1 tablespoon) ginger peeled and roughly chopped
1/2 teaspoon flakey salt
4 1/2 teaspoons black and white sesame seeds, toasted
1/2 ounce chives finely chopped
1 1/2 tablespoons white miso paste
3 tablespoons mirin
3 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
Start by making the dressing. Pound the ginger and salt into a paste in a mortar and pestle or in a bowl with a spoon. Transfer to a bowl, add the other ingredients, and stir well to combine.
Bring large (enough to accommodate the asparagus spears) of salted water to boil. Add the asparagus spears and cook for 1 minute before adding the bok choy. Cook the vegetables for 1 more minute and taste the asparagus, if you like it a bit more tender keep it in for another 30 seconds. Remove the asparagus and bok choy from the water and put into a colander, rinse quickly with cold water, and let drain. Arrange the asparagus and bok choy on a serving plate, spoon the dressing over the veggies, and serve.