Seaweed Cooking: A Comprehensive Expert Guide
In the world of gastronomy, seaweed is making a splash as a versatile and sustainable ingredient, captivating chefs and diners alike with its unique marine flavours. This humble marine plant, long revered as a natural source of flavour, fibre, and protein in coastal communities, is now finding its way onto plates in cities across the globe.
Sheffield's Jöro 2.Ö leads the charge in the UK, using an unspecified type of seaweed in an innovative ice-cream sandwich. Meanwhile, in Wales, Chef Tom Waters of the Michelin-starred Gorse sources kelp, dulse, sea lettuce, and laver from the Welsh farm Câr-Y-Môr, using them to infuse cultured butter for his buttermilk bread.
In London, Ramiro Lafuente Martinez, executive chef at The Connaught Grill, infuses a buttery sauce in a chargrilled scallop dish with seaweed, selling around 100 portions per month. Across town, at Killiecrankie House in Scotland's Central Lowlands, fish and vegetables are wrapped and steamed in sheets of kelp for a delicate sea fragrance.
The trend extends beyond the British Isles. In Spain, Aponiente, with its marine-focused philosophy, uses seaweed in almost every dish, turning the sea itself into a pantry of the future. Portuguese chef José Avillez in Lisbon offers twelve creative "food moments" that elevate seaweed in fine dining, blending it with fruits and other ingredients to create visually striking and innovative courses.
In Glasgow, the Kelp Ristorante's small plate menus expertly blend seafood, vegetables, and meats with seaweed, showcasing creative flavor profiles and beautiful plating. Meanwhile, Celele in Colombia's Caribbean coast, with its sustainable ethos and deep connection to local ecosystems, highlights underutilized native ingredients, offering a model for the use of seaweed along coastlines rich in marine biodiversity.
Seaweed is also making an appearance in urban settings, such as London, Sheffield, and New York. For instance, at C as in Charlie, executive chef and owner Eric JaeHo Choi flash-fries dulse, a type of seaweed, to create a crispy, savory snack. The Freezer-Door Martini at London pub The Culpeper combines Boatyard gin with seaweed, samphire, sea purslane, and capers.
Chef Calum Montgomery on the Isle of Skye uses pepper dulse, known as "the bacon of the sea," in his seasonal menu at Edinbane Lodge. Frankie van Loo, executive chef at Applebee's in London's Borough Market, pairs fresh seaweed with butter and scallops.
A British drinks brand, Omoss, harnesses the power of sea moss, an algae rich in iodine, magnesium, and potassium, to replenish electrolytes. London-based dining pop-up Gorka offers a take on laverbread, a traditional Welsh delicacy made from laver, an algae.
Kombu (kelp) is a natural source of MSG (monosodium glutamate), making it a great flavor enhancer for soups and sauces. This global trend highlights seaweed's potential as a rich, nutritious, and environmentally friendly ingredient capable of inspiring chefs in diverse cuisines and urban settings.
- In the realm of healthy cooking, chefs are creatively integrating kelp into various dishes, such as Chef Frankie van Loo's partnership of fresh seaweed with butter and scallops in London.
- Beyond British Isles, global-cuisines are embracing seaweed, with Portuguese chef José Avillez in Lisbon blending it with fruits and other ingredients to elevate fine dining experiences.
- In urban settings like New York, London, and Sheffield, food-and-drink establishments are incorporating seaweed into their offerings, like the crispy, savory snack made from dulse at C as in Charlie in London.
