Recipes › Pak Choi › Char-Grilled Pak Choi with Sesame Miso Dressing
Char-Grilled Pak Choi with Sesame Miso Dressing
Halved pak choi heads go straight onto a screaming-hot griddle until the cut faces blister and the outer leaves char at the edges — that caramelisation is everything here. A nutty white miso and sesame dressing brings deep savoury warmth, and a scatter of toasted sesame seeds finishes the job. This is the side dish that makes people forget there is anything else on the table.
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Ingredients
- 800 g Pak Choi, halved lengthways
- 2 tbsp white miso pasteor use brown miso for a stronger, saltier result
- 2 tbsp toasted sesame oil
- 1 tbsp rice wine vinegar
- 1 tbsp light soy sauce
- 1 tsp maple syrupor use agave syrup
- 1 cloves garlic, finely grated
- 1 tbsp neutral oil
- 15 g toasted sesame seeds
- 2 spring onions, finely sliced (optional)
Contains: cereals gluten, sesame, soya, sulphites.
Method
- Whisk together the miso paste, sesame oil, rice wine vinegar, soy sauce, maple syrup and grated garlic in a small bowl until smooth. Set aside.
- Place a griddle pan over the highest heat you have and leave it for at least 3 minutes until properly smoking hot. Do not rush this — the char only happens if the pan is genuinely fierce.About 3 min
- Brush the cut faces of the pak choi halves with the neutral oil. Place them cut-side down on the griddle and press gently with a spatula. Cook without moving for 3–4 minutes until the cut face is deeply charred with dark griddle marks.About 4 min
- Flip each pak choi half onto its rounded back and cook for a further 2–3 minutes until the outer leaves are wilted and slightly charred at the edges but the base still has a little bite.About 3 min
- Arrange the griddled pak choi on a serving plate. Spoon the miso dressing generously over the top, scatter with toasted sesame seeds and spring onions if using, and serve immediately.
Tips
- The griddle pan must be as hot as it will go — a lukewarm pan will steam the pak choi rather than char it, and you will lose all the flavour.
- Make the dressing up to two days ahead and keep it in a jar in the fridge. It also works brilliantly as a dipping sauce or a noodle dressing.
- If your pak choi heads are very large, quarter them lengthways rather than halving — this gives more cut surface area and therefore more caramelisation.
Ring the changes
- Drizzle with a teaspoon of chilli oil alongside the miso dressing for a spicier version.
- Swap the miso dressing for a dressing of tahini, lemon juice and a little garlic for a Middle Eastern twist.
Keeping it
Best eaten immediately. Leftovers will keep covered in the fridge for up to 1 day but the texture softens considerably — reheat briefly in a hot pan rather than a microwave.
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