There are so many unique foods and ingredients in TWENTY THOUSAND LEAGUES UNDER THE SEA, I couldn’t help but throw a funky recipe in this menu. Seaweed stood out to me in the story because it’s a bit unusual but still pretty easy to source (I got my seaweed at H-Mart, but you can also buy it online).
I decided to make seaweed salad since it pairs well with this menu’s entree: Sesame Soy Tuna Steaks. I made a variation on this sunomono salad recipe from My Kitchen. In my version, I use two types of seaweed–wakame and hijiki–for some added variety in flavor and texture.
This was definitely a fun experience. I highly recommend this salad if you want to experiment with seaweed recipes, since it’s so quick and easy (though I’d make a half batch if you’re not sure you like the flavor of seaweed). I enjoyed the springy bite of the wakame, and I also liked how tangy the cucumbers got after absorbing the dressing. However, after eating this, I decided that cold preparations of seaweed aren’t for me. I love it dried and in soup, but I’m not a fan of the texture when it’s rehydrated and cold.
Luckily, a little dried seaweed goes a long way, so I still have some leftover. I’ve heard it’s great in soups, and I still have some leftover miso and gochujang from making Spicy Eel. Maybe I should make some spicy miso seaweed soup!
A
Seaweed and Cucumber Salad
“I did justice to the meal. It consisted of assorted fish and some slices of sea cucumber. . . all garnished with such highly appetizing seaweeds as Porphyra laciniata and Laurencia primafetida. Our drink was clear water, to which, following the captain’s example, I added a few drops of a fermented liquor extracted by the Kamchatka method from a seaweed known by name as Rhodymenia palmata.”
— Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea
INGREDIENTS:
- 1/2 cup dried wakame seaweed
- 1 Tbsp dried hijiki seaweed (I got both my seaweed varieties at H-Mart)
- 1 salad cucumber, cut into coins
- 2 Tbsp unseasoned rice vinegar
- 1 Tbsp reduced sodium soy sauce
- 1 tsp sugar
- 1 tsp toasted sesame oil
- black and white sesame seeds, for garnish
Makes approx. 3 cups
INSTRUCTIONS:
- Rehydrate the seaweed according to package instructions. Keep in mind the hijiki will likely need 30 minutes to soak, while the wakame will probably only need 4-6 minutes. Unless the package says otherwise, you’ll want a 2:1 water to seaweed ratio. I also recommend stirring the wakame halfway through, since the pieces are bigger. This will help the pieces on top to fully rehydrate. I patted my wakame dry with a paper towel afterwards to help it absorb the dressing, but you don’t have to.
- Combine the seaweed and cucumber in a medium bowl and set aside.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the rice vinegar, soy sauce, sugar, and sesame oil. Add this to the medium bowl and stir until well coated. Divide evenly between small serving bowls. Top with sesame seeds to taste.
- Serve aboard the Nautilus, where all sustenance comes from the sea.
Leave a Reply