01
Step 1
Heat a cast iron or heavy-bottomed stainless steel pan over medium heat. Add the salt and stir it around for about a minute until it’s warmed through. Pour the salt into a mortar. Next, add the sesame seeds to the same pan. Keep stirring them constantly with a wooden spoon or spatula until you start to smell their nutty aroma and they begin to crackle a bit. To check if they’re done, press the back of a stainless steel spoon against a few seeds—they should feel dry, not wet. Once toasted, transfer the seeds to the mortar and let them cool for a few minutes. When you’re ready, sit down with the mortar at hip level and use the pestle to grind everything together until the seeds break open and the salt turns into a coarse, sandy mixture.
