Stop Super-Sizing Seaweed
Stop Super-Sizing Seaweed
Would seaweed attract skeptics if it was treated less like a vegetable and more like a seasoning?
The idea for this story sprung from a jar of crappy salsa. Seaweed was hailed boldly on the label. Being a big fan of the stuff, I was instantly intrigued. Come Friday happy hour, I put a bowl out with chips and guac.
"Yikes. What's the matter with this salsa?" my husband says, mid-crunch.
Yikes was right. I neglected to mention the secret salsa ingredient but his metallic detector is fine tuned for seaweed and he didn’t dig the addition one bit. The uniquely "meaty" flavor of glutamates—which in various forms and concentrations provide the chemical backbone not only to seaweed but also everything from everyday foods like tomatoes to umami bombs like miso—can be a turnoff for many eaters in high doses. And too much is too much even for enthusiasts like me.
Thus my salsa lightbulb moment: Maybe seaweed would attract skeptics if it was treated less like a vegetable and more like a seasoning. Crumbles instead of ribbons. The mild taste of dashi — seaweed broth — in sauces or dressings. Flakes instead of sheets. Just enough to displace some or all of the salt in flavored liquids. Sort of like the way MSG (monosodium glutamate) is used in many Asian cuisines (and is currently enjoying a major resurgence).
First I tried this in a pico-de-gallo-or-crudo-style fresh sauce; it not only worked like a charm but is versatile as hell. Then I went through all of Mark's recipes over the years and found some gems where the seaweed provides just the right briny umami flavors. Some background info is probably helpful, too.
I hope this little bundle of recipes and reference inspires you to hear the waves and taste the sea, even if you haven't been able to get to the beach yet this summer. Keep reading for:
Five Ways to Add Seaweed to Your Daily Cooking
Bittman’s Seaweed Basics
Sea Salsa, Texas Caviar with Seaweed, Sea Slaw, Kombu Dashi, Nori Crisps, and Seaweed Crisp
Five Ways to Add Seaweed to Your Daily Cooking
No need to soak sea greens for them to work magic. Here’s how to cook with a few in their dried state.
1. Put some in stirfries. A pinch or two of wispy threads like hijiki, wakame, alaria, or arame brings texture, color, and flavor to almost anything in a skillet. For chewiness, add them along with the first vegetables; for crunch add them at the last minute. Just make sure there’s a little liquid in the pan for them to absorb.
2. Make sea green seasonings. Pulse hijiki, arame, dulse (or smoked dulse!), or bits of toasted nori in a blender, food processor, or spice grinder until as coarse or fine as you like. Use it like you would spice blends in dressings, sauces, soups, or for the final garnish along with salt and pepper.
3. Toss a piece of kombu into the pot. Add instant brininess to soups, beans, grains, and braises with a strip or 2 of kombu. Keep an eye on the liquid to make sure it doesn’t absorb too much. Fish it out before serving.
4. Cook with Kombu Dashi instead of water or stock.
5. Put a stack of “grabbers” on the table. Quarter nori sheets with kitchen scissors and pass them at the dinner table. They’re perfect for making impromptu mini wraps and scooping up vegetable stir-fries, pilafs, rice bowls, and salads. It doesn't matter if they're toasted or untoasted. As long as they’re fairly dry, once you fold a bite of hot food in them, the chewy texture is delightful.
Bittman’s Seaweed Basics
The Recipes
Sea Salsa
Makes: 2 to 4 servings
Time: 20 minutes
Here's a sauce for all reasons and every season. With these proportions you can freely substitute different fruit, citrus, oils, aromatics, chiles, and herbs. Then use whatever you make to dip chips, top bruschetta, toss with pasta or noodles, or marinate fish, chicken, tofu, or meat after simple grilling or roasting.
Ingredients:
1 pint cherry tomatoes or 2 or 3 slicers (about 12 ounces)
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice, or more to taste
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 tablespoons minced red onion
1 tablespoon dried wakame
1 teaspoon minced garlic
Chopped fresh hot chile to taste (any color, any intensity)
Several fresh herb leaves (like basil, parsley, shiso, mint, or cilantro)
Salt and pepper (maybe)
Instructions:
1. Trim and chop the tomatoes. Put them in a serving bowl and scrape in all the juices and seeds from the cutting board. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon each lemon juice and olive oil and stir.
2. Crumble the wakame in your palm until the biggest bits are the size of peppercorns. Scatter the seaweed into the bowl and stir. It will plump and soften quickly.
3. Chop the basil and add it with the garlic, chile, and basil. Stir a couple times and taste to see if you want salt, pepper, or more lemon juice or chile. Serve right away or refrigerate for up to a couple of hours.
— Recipe developed by Kerri Conan