Green Beans with Sesame Miso Dressing

The following recipe is a sample course of a kaiseki meal. It is adapted from Kyo-ya Restaurant of San Francisco.

2 cups green beans, trimmed and cut into 1 1/2 inch pieces
Sesame Miso Dressing:
2 tablespoons shiro miso (white miso)
3 tablespoons white roasted sesame seeds + more for garnish
1 tablespoon sugar
2 tablespoons soy sauce

Parboil green beans in a large pot of rapidly boiling water for 45 seconds. Drain and immediately plunge into a bowl of ice water.
Using a mortar and pestle, blend together shiro miso, sesame seeds, sugar and soy sauce. Smash and mix until the sesame seeds are not visible when stirred.
Drain green beans and blot dry. Transfer to a bowl and fold in the dressing until the beans are evenly coated.
Serve in small bowls and lightly sprinkle with sesame seeds.