Sea vegetables or sea greens — calling them “weeds” shows no respect, though everyone (including me) still does — come in a wide variety of shapes, sizes, and colors (see page 244). Even if you don’t eat fish, you’ll still appreciate their flavor — which is straight “ocean.”
Sea greens work best when used in relatively small quantities to add complexity to a wide range of other ingredients — and served not just with the expected Asian dishes, but in European, American, and even Latin American cooking. The results are approachable, familiar salads with an unexpected twist.
While seaweed salad has become a popular staple in America’s Japanese restaurants, many home cooks remain intimidated. Seaweed is an odd ingredient, after all, and if not treated right can be a bit slimy; people also imagine that sea greens are overpoweringly salty. Let the collection here convince you otherwise.
Though occasionally you will see sea greens fresh or frozen, in vacuum-sealed packages, they’re most commonly sold dried. To rehydrate, just soak pieces in tap water until they expand — usually to several times their original size — lighten in color, and become pliable. This can take just a few minutes to up to an hour, depending on the type of sea green and how thick and well dried it is. When it’s ready, rinse in cold water to remove excess sliminess, squeeze and pat dry if you’d like, and chop or slice as necessary. Generally, rehydrated dried seaweed is brown to olive green or sometimes almost black.