When I raved on about Prannie Rhatigan’s wonderful seaweed book last month I could only experiment with recipes which used nori, as that was the only seaweed that, thanks to Clearspring, I had in my larder. However, as soon as I had finished I put in an order to SeaVeg in County Donegal for a SeaVeg Special Selection pack – and here it is. Well, here is some of it anyhow….
From left to right we have Irish Spirulina (the green one), Irish Nori, Irish Carragheen (the brown one at the back, a Sea Bath pack (in the green netting), Irish dulse (the purply one in the front) and Sweet tangle sugar kelp (the one that looks a bit like flattened snake in the middle). We also have some Sea Spaghetti, some Kombu and a seaweed spice pack.
They all come, as you can see, in sealed plastic bags and my mixed pack only cost me £24 plus postage. They advise that you keep it dry and in the dark and eat within a month for the best flavour but I suspect it will last longer. I hope so as, even with my newly found passion for seaweed, I will find it hard to get through all of that in a month!
My pack also arrived in record quick time and the smell as you opened it was just amazing – you could have been wading into the Atlantic! Sadly, we have been so busy with awards and ‘stuff’ that I have not had a chance to experiment with any more or Prannie’s recipes – but I have been adding handfuls of different seaweeds to different pots of soup and stews and vegetables and it does add a lovely subtle flavour – often not recognisable as seaweed – apart from, I am sure, making the dish soooo much healthier!
Maybe I will get to make Prannie’s Sticky figgy pudding with brandied alaria for Christmas…. but even if I don’t, I wonder how a little Irish spirulina would go with the Brussel sprouts….. And I shall certainly treat myself to that seaweed bath pack…