News from Dansk Tang: Sea Lettuce

High demand, of course

Sea lettuce is probably the best way to describe this seaweed species, which in the past was commonly salted down and imported from places like France. It took a couple of years to truly learn what it tasted like fresh. Since then, the demand has been high.

The flavor is similar to salad or spinach, and it keeps its bright green color during cooking. It gives a fresh ocean/vegetable taste. Like many other seaweed varieties, it can be used in all types of kitchens. Large pieces can be wrapped around fish before cooking. Surprisingly, it is quite resilient – even on a grill.

In late summer, the sheets of sea lettuce can grow very large, especially if there have been periods of calm weather, which is likely why we have particularly large, beautiful pieces this year. Smaller pieces make an attractive garnish in any dish with, for example, fish. A tip is to give it a touch of acidity, which makes it easier to chew.

The large sheets of sea lettuce can best be described as nature’s version of a sushi mat or rice paper. It can cover large areas and overshadow mussels and crabs, so the best thing to do is to eat as much of it as possible.Both dried pieces and fresh ones that have just been patted dry taste of truffle when fried in a pan or briefly dipped in hot oil (186°C).