10 sensational seaweed recipes
More than the slippery scourge of the seaside, seaweed is a versatile ingredient. Browse our favourite seaweed recipes, lovingly provided by the country's best chefs.
10 sensational seaweed recipes
More than the slippery scourge of the seaside, seaweed is a versatile ingredient. Browse our favourite seaweed recipes, lovingly provided by the country's best chefs.
Seaweed – to some it will always be an unglamorous, tangled mess that smells of the seaside, or associated with dubious laverbread that gets whipped out every St David's Day. But the Japanese have long been aware of what a super ingredient it can be; nori, kombu and wakame are staples there, used to make beautiful stocks, to wrap sushi or simply served as a snack.
British chefs are increasingly waking up to the wonders of seaweed, thanks in part to an increased interest in Japanese flavours, but also the realisation that this seemingly exotic, umami ingredient is available on our own doorstep. And though laverbread may have gained a slightly dodgy reputation in the past, a desire to rediscover and reinvent our shared food history has seen chefs creating seaweed recipes with unbound enthusiasm. Here are ten of our favourites.
1. Scallops with seaweed and miso kombu broth
Andrew MacKenzie shows off seaweed in two parts of this super-speedy starter, using the kombu as a flavouring for the miso broth, and a shony blend to season the scallops before cooking. The simple array of vegetables accompanying the dish complements the light, clean flavours of the seafood perfectly.
2. Laverbread ravioli with roasted onion stock and Welsh beach vegetables
Aside from rugby, the association between Wales and Italy may not seem immediately clear. No matter – Alyn Williams melds two of the countries' culinary icons into an unforgettable dish of laverbread ravioli for a very smart St David's Day dish.
3. Rack of lamb with shony seaweed crust, aubergine byaldi and confit peppers
Lamb has long proved itself a perfect match with ingredients such as anchovies and samphire, with the salty complexity of these ingredients cutting through the richness of the meat. Seaweed performs the same task in this recipe, with the shony crust providing an umami, saline seasoning.
4. Oysters with laverbread and Stilton
Welsh chef Bryan Webb tucks laverbread into the shells of fresh oysters, then tops off the shellfish with a heady Stilton mix – the perfect canapé for a St David's Day celebration.
5. Scarborough woof and seaweed fritters with brown crab mayonnaise
James Mackenzie cleverly flavours the crispy batter for his fish goujons with nori, adding an extra touch of complexity and richness. Served with a punchy brown crab mayonnaise, this dish demonstrates a true love of the British seaside.
6. Pea and prawns with dashi jelly
Dashi – the Japanese stock that has played such a huge role in the resurgence of seaweed – is served by Daniel Clifford as a refreshing jelly, paired simply with some wonderfully fresh prawns and pea shoots.
7. Hamachi with red dulse, olive oil and soy
Phil Fanning serves dashi in the form of a refreshing sorbet in this stunning hamachi recipe. Not content with one type of seaweed, Phil finishes off the dish with some beautiful braised red dulse.
8. Pork 'noodles', piggy tea, mustard, kombu and shony
Pork and seaweed are a match made in heaven, as Alyn Williams proves in this inventive recipe. The pork 'noodles' are made from pig skin, served with a broth infused with herbaceous aromatics and seaweed; the perfect piggy match.
9. Carrots with smoked trout, mozzarella, wakame seaweed and beetroot emulsion
Michael Wignall uses dashi stock to rehydrate flavourful wakame in this stunning recipe – an ideal accompaniment to salty smoked cod and sweet chargrilled carrots.
10. Pollock with kombu seaweed, sweetcorn and grapefruit
Adam Stokes balances land and sea perfectly in this pollock dish, seasoning the fish with kombu before cooking in a water bath. He then pairs the pollock with a range of earthy flavours, from delicately charred sweetcorn to a unique, homemade curry powder.
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