Something I don’t
think I have shared with you is that I love sushi. Mom is the one who
introduced me to this tasty cuisine. I was an immediate fan. It is another one
of the things only the girls in my family enjoy. Sushi is so beautiful. It is
definitely an art form. I know many of you are wrinkling up your nose thinking
raw fish? But I promise raw fish is so mild, it is the cooking of the fish that
brings out its strong “fishy” flavor. Try it you might like it.
Now Seaweed Salad is
something I learned to love. The first time I tried it the sushi chef sent it
to the table, we did not order it. I was not a fan. Then one day I went to
dinner with some new sushi fans, my friend’s husband raved about the Seaweed
Salad at this restaurant. So I decided to give it another try. It was so good.
I really like the briny sea flavor. The dressing is delicious and I love the
toasted sesame with the soy sauce.
Texture is something I
am still learning about. Some seaweed has a soft texture almost slick. Others
have a firm almost crunchy texture. I am a fan of something in between, a
little chewy or squidgy. Problem is I don’t know my seaweed by name yet. They
are all dark almost black green when dried, quite hard to identify. I get the
seaweed (wakame) at an Asian market. I have bought it in two forms; whole and
shredded. You really don’t know its size, color or texture until it is
re-constituted. This is where the Trick comes in. When you plunge the dried
seaweed in the water it comes alive! SPOOKY!!!! Kids would love this part. It
moves and grows to three times it size, so amazing to watch. The whole wakame
needs to have the spine of the leaves removed and be sliced thin. This is the
texture I think I like best. It is more like what the restaurants serve. The
shredded variety is what I used today and you can see it was a mix of seaweed
and already chopped. It almost looks like spring mix salad greens. It has a mix
of textures. Both taste great with the savory nutty dressing. The seaweed
almost absorbs the dressing so don’t worry if it looks like a lot of dressing.
I make the dressing two ways. The basic recipe is mild and I think let’s the
briny sea flavor shine. But if you add some garlic and red pepper you get a little
spicy heat, also very good. Now you have to try it to decide if this is a Trick
or a Treat. For me it is a definite Treat.
Seaweed Salad
Ingredients
3/4 oz dried wakame
3 tablespoons rice
vinegar
3 tablespoons light
soy sauce
2 tablespoons sesame
oil
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon finely
grated ginger
Optional (for heat):
1/2 tsp minced garlic
1/8 tsp red pepper
flakes
For garnish:
2 scallions, thinly
sliced
1 tablespoon toasted
sesame seeds
Directions
Soak dried wakame according
to package directions. Drain thoroughly and place in a bowl.
Mix vinegar, soy
sauce, sesame oil, sugar, and ginger in a bowl until sugar is dissolved. Add
garlic and red pepper flakes if using.
Pour the dressing over
the wakame and mix to combine. Chill in refrigerator. Sprinkle with scallions and
toasted sesame seeds prior to serving.
Hi Denise,
ReplyDeleteThis salad looks awesome! Hope you are having a fantastic weekend and thank you so much for sharing with Full Plate Thursday!
Miz Helen