Crispy Seaweed
Healthier, crispy and utterly irresistible ‘Seaweed’ (Chinese takeaway style). A Chinese is never complete without crispy seaweed - in fact I love it so much, I’ll add it to salads, sandwiches and even soups. It doesn’t take long to make but it does need a lot of tender loving care. Plus, this delicious recipe is baked not fried, so it’s totally worth it.
Equipment
- Oven
- Large baking tray
- Parchment paper
Ingredients
- 200 g cavolo nero, thoroughly washed and dried, stalk removed, and sliced thinly
- 1 tsp 1 tsp sugar (for this recipe I use caster sugar)
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- sea salt
Garnish
- a sprinkle of caster sugar
- sprinkle of coconut sugar (optional)
Instructions
- Pre-heat the oven to 400°F, gas mark 6, 200°C (180°C fan-assisted). Line a large baking tray with parchment paper.
- Wash and dry the cavolo nero and then pat dry very well, discard the inner stalk. To remove the stalks, hold the leaves with one hand, then pull out the stalk from the center and discard, retaining the rest of the leaf. Group a couple of leaves together, and then fold in half and slice very thinly into thin strips (aka chiffonade). Repeat with the remaining cavolo nero.
- Place the finely shredded cavolo nero on the pre lined baking tray. Add the oil and season with sea salt and 1 tsp. sugar. Massage the leaves until everything is coated in the oil, salt and sugar.
- Place in the pre-heated oven for 10 minutes, ensuring you give the cavolo nero a stir after the first five minutes. Once the cavolo nero has been in the oven for 10 minutes, stir again and reduce the oven temperature to 325°F, gas mark 3, 160°C (140°C fan-assisted). Cook for a further 10 minutes, again after the first 5 minutes give the cavolo nero a good stir. Remove from the oven once its crisp, sprinkle a pinch of white sugar all over the seaweed.
- Cool slightly and then place in a serving dish. For an authentic touch to the middle, I add a touch of coconut sugar.
- Enjoy!
- When making this recipe, I’d LOVE to see how you get on so either send me a photo to lisa@myrelationshipwithfood.com or post a picture to Instagram using the #myrelationshipwithfood and tag @myrelationshipwithfood
Notes
LISA’S TIP – When washing the leaves, make sure that the cabbage leaves are completely dry before adding the oil and seasonings. Lay the leaves on a clean tea towel, and fold over with one side to soak up any excess moisture - too much moisture will affect the crispiness. As an alternative garnish you can sprinkle on some toasted sesame seeds. I love to have this as a side dish to my Asian recipes. You can also sprinkle some seaweed over a salad as a garnish or top a soup. You also can’t beat piling on some crispy seaweed onto an open sandwich!
