Chewy and Refreshing! Seaweed Salad with Fresh Agar-Agar
Fresh Agar-Agar Salad: A Taste of the Sea
I was delighted to find fresh agar-agar at the market, which brought back fond memories of enjoying it as a child from my hometown’s shores. Agar-agar was a frequent side dish, often made into this refreshing salad or a cold soup with cucumbers, perfect for beating the summer heat. Dried agar-agar was also sometimes added to kimchi during the winter! Would you like a bite of this vibrant, ocean-scented fresh agar-agar salad?
Main Ingredients
- Fresh agar-agar 800g
Cooking Instructions
Step 1
First, prepare the fresh agar-agar and the colorful chilies that will add vibrancy to the salad. Also, gather all the aromatic seasoning ingredients. Once everything is ready, you’re all set to begin cooking!
Step 2
The key to a delicious salad is the dressing! In a bowl, combine soup soy sauce, fish sauce, minced garlic, sesame oil, and toasted sesame seeds. Whisk them together to create a glossy and flavorful dressing. It’s best to prepare this in advance so you can toss the salad immediately after prepping the ingredients.
Step 3
This is a crucial step to soften the agar-agar and mellow its distinct sea flavor and slight bitterness. Add 1 tablespoon of coarse sea salt to the cleaned fresh agar-agar and knead it vigorously, as if you’re washing laundry. This process helps to break down the agar-agar and make it tender.
Step 4
After kneading with salt, rinse the agar-agar thoroughly under cold running water 3 to 4 times to remove excess saltiness. Rinsing gently each time ensures that the salt is properly removed, preserving the agar-agar’s natural taste.
Step 5
Blanching the agar-agar briefly will make it even more tender and impart a cleaner flavor. Fill a pot with plenty of water and bring it to a rolling boil. This is the step to prepare the boiling water for blanching.
Step 6
Once the water is boiling vigorously, carefully add the cleaned and drained fresh agar-agar. Be mindful not to over-blanch it, as it can become too mushy if cooked for too long.
Step 7
To ensure the agar-agar is blanched evenly and doesn’t clump together, gently stir it in the boiling water with wooden chopsticks. This helps all parts of the agar-agar cook uniformly, resulting in a better texture.
Step 8
Immediately after removing the agar-agar from the hot water, plunge it into cold water to stop the cooking process and cool it down. After rinsing in cold water, drain it well in a colander. Excess water can dilute the dressing and make the salad taste bland.
Step 9
Prepare the minced garlic, which will add a wonderful aroma to the dressing. Finely mince the garlic cloves with a knife. The pungent flavor of fresh garlic complements the oceanic notes of the agar-agar beautifully.
Step 10
Get the red chilies ready to add a vibrant color. Using a spoon is an easy and clean way to remove the seeds from the chilies. Removing the seeds reduces the heat while retaining the beautiful red color.
Step 11
Finely chop the deseeded red chilies. Chopping them into small pieces ensures they are evenly distributed throughout the salad and easy to eat.
Step 12
Now, prepare the green chilies and Korean green chilies (Cheongyang chilies) for a touch of green and a hint of spice. Just like with the red chilies, use a spoon to neatly remove the seeds.
Step 13
Finely chop the deseeded green chilies and Korean green chilies. When mixed with the red chilies in the salad, they create a visually appealing color combination.
Step 14
Cut the blanched agar-agar into bite-sized pieces. If they are too long, they can be difficult to eat, and if they are too short, they might lose their chewy texture. Aim for pieces that are about 3-5 cm long.
Step 15
Arrange the bite-sized agar-agar pieces attractively in a large mixing bowl. It’s now perfectly ready to be tossed with the delicious dressing.
Step 16
Add the prepared dressing, finely chopped red chilies, green chilies, and Korean green chilies to the drained agar-agar. Seeing all these fresh ingredients come together is mouthwatering!
Step 17
Gently toss everything together with your hands, ensuring all the ingredients are well combined. Avoid over-mixing, as this can break down the agar-agar. The goal is to coat everything evenly with the dressing without making it mushy.
Step 18
Transfer the beautifully tossed agar-agar salad to a serving plate. This fresh, ocean-scented, and satisfyingly chewy agar-agar salad is sure to be a hit at your next meal!
