Nozawanazuke

Step 1: Clean the jar or container and lid: wash in hot soapy water, rinse, then dry in a 250°F oven for 10 minutes (or pour boiling water over and in it and air-dry upside down). Let it cool; it must be completely dry.

Step 2: Trim the roots off the 3 ⅓ lb nozawana or turnip greens and remove any yellow leaves. Wash them in several changes of water, then swish in hand-hot water (about 104°F) for 1 minute until the stalks feel slightly softer. Drain.

Step 3: Cut into lengths that fit your container (or leave whole if it is long). Lay a layer in the container, sprinkle with some 1 ¾ oz coarse sea salt, ⅓ oz kombu and 3 dried red chillies, then add the next layer turned the other way. Repeat, finishing with salt.

Step 4: Press down firmly, put a plate on top and weigh down with about twice the greens' weight. Leave in a cool place (below 50°F, or the fridge) for 1–2 days, until brine rises above the greens; then halve the weight.

Step 5: Leave 4–5 more days in the cold, until the stalks are flexible and a deep vivid green and taste lightly salty. Normal: a little cloudiness and sour smell later on. Bad: fuzzy coloured mould, slime or a rotten smell; throw it away.

Step 6: Keep it in the fridge, in its brine, for up to 1 month; it slowly turns sour and amber. To serve, squeeze a handful, cut into 3 cm pieces and toss with 1 tsp toasted sesame oil and 1 tsp toasted sesame seeds if you like.