Chewing the Dulse Palmaria palmata
The end of the tourist season on the wind swept Outer Hebridean island,where my husband is the island doctor, heralds the return of cattle and sheep to the Tom Morris Golf course and Machair (coastal fertile land). Inevitably the animals meander their way down to the sea, where they dine on kelp but in bygone years, crofters would gather and store seaweed to feed to animals over the winter months.Seaweed is abundantly rich in nutrients and alkaline and so, it was, (and still is) used as a fertiliser on lazy-beds and vegetable plots, avoiding the need for crop rotation.
It is said that whilst coastal Irish and Scottish cows chewed the cud, the farmers chewed the dulse. Raw dulse requires considerable chewing but dried and stir-fried, as in this recipe, it becomes a rather moreish nibble. The recipe is original but was inspired by Margaret Hornhttp://www.butnbenauchmithie.co.uk/, the talented cook of Arbroath Smokie fame. Margaret told me that Dundonian landlords would set plates piled high with dulse at the bar, in the hope that those who frequented pubs would increase their beverage consumption. Traditionally dulse was roasted in fire embers and served with or without vinegar as a snack.
Dulse is a pretty, pinkish red seaweed, which dries to a deep wine red and goes greenish brown when cooked. It grows on rocks or often hitches a ride on kelps. The fronds resemble fingers and the stalks (stipes) are short. In the photograph it is attached to kelp, which has been thrown up by winter storms; ripped from the seabed by the force of the waves. Dulse is rich in nutrients and a useful thickener in stews and soups. It can be cooked in its raw state or dried. I dried fresh dulse (a carrier bag which was a third full) to leave 30g dried dulse and made it into Dulse and Poppy Seed Crisps with a hint of chill - delicious. Here's the recipe.
What to find:
2tbsps groundnut oil
½ red chilli deseed and finely chopped
30g dulse dried and crushed into bite-sized pieces
Dessertspoon poppy seeds
What to do:
Heat the oil in a frying pan and sauté the finely chopped chilli. When the oil begins to smoke, quickly add the dulse and stir-fry briefly, to coat with the chilli oil.
Add the poppy seeds and it's ready to serve.