The Back Yard Lemon Tree

Years ago, I used to go regularly to a Japanese restaurant that used to make the best avocado salad with roasted sesame dressing. This was the dish that I used to dream about and crave between visits. Of course, I tried recreating this salad at home with a commercial Kewpie Japanese dressing, but it was just not as good and the dressing languished in my refrigerator for months before I had to throw it out. About a year ago Food52 posted a homemade hack of the Kewpie roasted sesame dressing on their site. Finally after years of yearning, I got to recreate the long ago restaurant salad of my dreams. The best thing about making your own dressing is you can adjust the acidity and sweetness to your own taste. If you have some on hand, seaweed salad or toasted nori are very good sprinkled on top. The avocado is almost essential for me but this dressing can dress up a plain green salad or used as a dip for vegetable crudites.

One of the best cooking hacks I’ve discovered in the last five years buying pre-roasted sesame seeds from the Korean grocery store. This makes this sesame dressing incredibly quick and easy. No more burning sesame seeds, but even if you have to roast your own seeds this dressing comes together very simply. I use a mortar and pestle to grind the seeds and mix the dressing, this makes the clean up much less onerous then using a food processor.

Japanese Roasted Sesame Dressing

Adapted from Food52

• 3 tablespoons white sesame seeds
• 4 tablespoons of mayonnaise (Preferably Kewpie mayonnaise)
• 1 tablespoon of white sugar (or to taste I use a bit less)
• 1 1/2 tablespoons light soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon roasted sesame oil
• 1/2 tablespoon of wholegrain mustard
• 1 tablespoon of rice wine vinegar

1. If you are not using pre-roasted seeds, first toast your sesame seeds in a large pan over a medium high heat, stirring frequently until they are golden brown. (about 4-6 minutes)
2. In a mortar and pestle (or food processor) grind sesame seeds and granulated sugar until sandy. Add mayonnaise and mustard stir through ground sesame seeds then add roasted sesame oil, rice wine vinegar and soy sauce and stir through until combined. Taste and adjust vinegar and sugar if desired.
3. This dressing keeps well in a sealed container for up to three weeks.

*If you want to make this vegan Kewpie make an excellent vegan mayonnaise