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Crispy Seaweed (Chinese Takeaway Style)

Recipe by The Cozy Bowl Kitchen

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  • Total Time20 minutes
  • YieldServes 4 as a side 1x

Finely shredded spring greens or kale fried for twenty seconds and tossed in sugar and salt, exactly like the crispy seaweed served in British Chinese restaurants. Light, shattering and about 60p a bowl.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 250 g spring greens, cavolo nero or curly kale (about 1 head)
  • About 1 litre sunflower, vegetable or rapeseed oil, for frying
  • 1 1/2 tsp caster sugar
  • 3/4 tsp fine sea salt

Optional

  • 1 small pinch Chinese five spice
  • 1 tsp toasted sesame seeds

Instructions

  1. Wash the leaves and dry them completely, using a salad spinner or patting them with a clean tea towel and leaving them spread out for 20 minutes. They must be bone dry.
  2. Cut the thick central stalk out of each leaf and discard it. The stalks will not crisp.
  3. Stack 5 or 6 leaves, roll them up tightly into a cigar shape, and slice across as finely as you can, aiming for 2 to 3 mm ribbons. Repeat with the rest.
  4. Spread the shreds out on a tray or tea towel and check them by hand. They should feel papery, not cool and damp. Dry any that are still moist.
  5. Mix the caster sugar and fine sea salt together in a small bowl, with the five spice if using, and set it next to the hob. You will only have a few seconds to season.
  6. Heat the oil to 170°C in a deep, heavy pan or wok, filled no more than a third full. Test with a single shred: it should sizzle immediately and darken within about 5 seconds.
  7. Add a small handful of shreds at a time. The oil will foam up considerably. Stir once with a slotted spoon.
  8. Fry for 20 to 30 seconds only, until the vigorous sizzling has noticeably quietened and the shreds look darker green and slightly translucent. Do not wait for them to brown.
  9. Lift them out with a slotted spoon onto a wire rack lined with kitchen paper. Immediately scatter over some of the sugar and salt mixture and toss gently.
  10. Repeat with the remaining greens, letting the oil come back to temperature between batches. They will crisp further as they cool over a minute or two. Never cover them.
  11. Toss with sesame seeds if using and serve.

Notes

What it actually is: The crispy seaweed served in most British Chinese restaurants is not seaweed at all. It is finely shredded greens, fried and seasoned with sugar and salt. This is that version. For a real seaweed topping, snip toasted nori into fine strips and use it uncooked.

The mistake to avoid: Waiting for it to brown. Crispy seaweed goes from perfect to burnt and irreversibly bitter in a few seconds. Take it out while it is still dark green. Listen rather than just looking: when the vigorous sizzling quietens, it is done.

Do not skip the sugar: It is what makes this taste like a takeaway side rather than fried cabbage.

Storage: Cool completely, then store airtight at room temperature, never in the fridge. If it softens, refresh in a 150°C oven for 3 to 4 minutes. Best within the first hour.

Variations: Air-fry the oiled dry shreds at 160°C for 4 to 6 minutes, shaking every 2 minutes. Or toss in 1 tbsp oil, spread thinly on a large tray and bake at 150°C for 12 to 18 minutes, turning twice. Both are far more forgiving than deep frying. Add a pinch of Chinese five spice or chilli powder to the seasoning.

Equipment: A deep heavy pan or wok, a cooking thermometer if you have one, a slotted spoon or spider, a wire rack over a tray, a salad spinner or clean tea towel and a very sharp knife.

Deep frying safety: The greens must be completely dry, because water in hot oil spits violently and can be dangerous. Fill the pan no more than a third full, add only small handfuls at a time as the oil foams up considerably, never leave hot oil unattended, and keep a pan lid within reach.

Allergen note: Always check the label of every ingredient you use, as recipes and allergen information can change. People with food allergies or intolerances must also consider cross-contamination.

Take particular care with the sesame seeds if used (sesame), Chinese five spice blends (may contain mustard or sulphites) and the frying oil, which may previously have been used for other allergens. Groundnut oil is a peanut product. Allergen information must be confirmed by The Cozy Bowl before it is relied upon.

This is a home recipe inspired by a dish or flavour available at The Cozy Bowl. It is not the restaurant’s exact commercial recipe.

Find it online: https://thecozybowl.co.uk/crispy-seaweed-recipe/