Green Beans with Sesame Dressing

3/4 pound green beans

1 tablespoon salt

1 1/4 cups chicken stock

2 1/2 tablespoons sesame seeds

1 1/2 teaspoons soy sauce

1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar

1 1/2 teaspoons sugar

Again, the recipe called for rice wine and I substituted rice wine vinegar.

Cut the beans in 2 inch lengths, then into slivers. Bring a large pan of water to a rolling boil, add the tablespoon of salt to it and put in the beans. Boil about 2-5 minutes until the beans are just tender but still crisp. Drain and quickly plunge them into cold water to set the color. Drain again and put the beans into a bowl. Pour the stock over them and set aside for 30 minutes or longer.

Put the sesame seeds in a small cast-iron frying pan set over mediuhigh heat. Dtir the seeds for a few minutes until they are roasted and give out a nutty aroma. Reserve about 1/2 tablespoon of the seeds for garnish. Grind the rest in a clean coffee grinder or food processor, then empty them into a bowl. Add the soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, sugar and 1 tablespoon of stock taken from the soaking beans. Mix well.

Drain the beans thoroughly. (Save the stock for soup or another use.) Put them into a bowl, add the dressing and mix. To serve, Japanese-style, pile the beans in a little hillock in the center of each of 4 small bowls or plates. Sprinkle the reserved sesame seeds over the top of each serving.