Would you believe I had Crispy Fried Seaweed for the first time the other night ?

Long story short - went to carvan to see my parents, (not everywhere open due to being bank holidays) drove out and found a Chinese takeaway, menu was a little different than the last one we ever went to.. Had a giant starter "Max Hors d'œuvre" or "Max Horses Eyes" as my Dad called it... LOL which had salt and pepper ribs, deep fried prawns, won tons, seasame prawn toast along with some other bits and bobs and Crispy Fried Seaweed.

Now I wasn't sure what to expect as its not something I've ever paid attention to...

Well its not the sort of thing I could just eat by itself (I did try it and it was ok but far too sweet ???) but it did mix well into my fried rice dish.

Is it normally so sweet? Is sugar added to it...please tell me it wasn't MSG !

Could you do it without the sweetness?

Steve

It is not really seaweeds Steve, just deep fried cabbage greens of one sort or the other. All Chinese restaurants serve it around here and I have to say I do like their taste, even though they are swimming in oil. When you have perfected, as I know you will, share it with us all. I wouldn’t mind try making them.

As Mamta says 'Crispy Seaweed' is the biggest misnomer on a Chinese menu. It is always shredded cabbage (better restaurants would use chinese greens) deep fried at a high temperature with the addition of salt and sugar (sugar optional.)

Yours could have had MSG added but that would have added a burning sensation rather than sweetness to the dish. (Always worth saying NO MSG at a chinese. Expect yours just had too much sugar added which as I suggested really isn't necessary.

Needless to say the 'Crispy Seaweed' has the highest profit margin of any dish at a Chinese!

Winton

thanks for the info.. its not likely I'll be doing it as I don't like deep frying (the danger, smells, and it ruins my pans, health etc...)

It wasn't swimming in oil though.. it was quite dry and just crispy.. I don't even think there was any at the bottom of the tub !

http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=3874517&l=d29af36f82&id=759322738

Steve

So, for all those years in the UK, I wasn't eating seaweed at all in Chinese restaurants! Still, it was good: dry and crispy, but with something kind of dark orange powder added. No idea what it was.

Phil

could the orange powder be brown sugar ? Paprika ? Chilli ?

Steve

The orange stuff is usually dried scallops or fish, grated.

I prefer when it's not had too much sugar added, as seems to be more and more common. I sometimes ask for them to put less sugar, which is nicer.

Yes, Kavey, that powder tasted slightly fishy. I rather liked it, actually.

I might try that dry, deep-fried sliced cabbage (or could it have been lettuce? Maybe not, but it was very light and thin).

Phil

I think it's often referred to as "spring greens" but I've never been entirely sure what spring greens is!!!

I guess it has to be a dark green vegetable with quite thin leaves, thicker cabbagey-type leaves wouldn't work.

Time for some experimenting? :)

Spinach ??

Steve

It looked dark enough to be spinach. Shame there isn't a Chinese equivalent of this site (or IS there?)

Phil

Sunflower's site/food blog is very good, ask her; http://sunflower-recipes.blogspot.com/

She is a BBC food boards member.

Thanks, Mamta. Not as good as your site, but useful.

Phil

Did anyone perfect the crispy seaweed in the end ? And work out exactly what the brown sprinkled stuff on the top was made out of ?

The seaweed is spring greens. Only the larger outer leaves are used as the inner ones don't crisp up as well. Savoy cabbage leaves can be used but not as good and the powder on top is ground fried fish available from asian supermarkets.

hi, can you please tell me can the internal algae leaves be used?

Hi, we aren't sure what you mean by "internal algae leaves", can you provide more information?