Fergus ‘the Forager’ Drennan is attempting to live for a year entirely from foraged foods. He runs wonderful courses on wild foods and foraging (not always the same thing) throughout the year and more details are Wild available on his website at www.wildmanwildfood.com food Fergus Drennan gets out his bucket and spade and goes in search of edible seaweeds.

ummer is the absolute best time for collecting Sun, sand seaweeds, and with a number of inspirational cookbooks and guides published this year, now could not be a better time for getting your feet wet! This is my second article on seaweed for CountryS kitchen. The first (August ’09) can be seen on my website (www.wildmanwildfood.com) and includes a few health and safety issues. Legally the situation is somewhat complex. See John Wright’s excellent little book (details below) and seaweed for the head-scratching details. Also check for lists of Biodiversity Action Plan and Red Data Book species before harvesting anything. There may also be issues with where you collect, if they are Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSIs), Special Areas of Conservation (SACs) or National Parks. Permissions to gather, when and where necessary, may also depend on whether you Eggwrack seafood parcels are collecting for your own consumption or for sale (please don’t do the latter!). If in doubt call your local Natural England office or contact the marine section of the Joint Nature Conservation Committee (JNCC). For water quality information, call the 690-odd seaweeds Environment Agency. From the 690-odd seaweeds (not all edible) that are found in (not all edible) are found UK waters, I’ve chosen a handful to work with, selected to show in UK waters. just how versatile, creative and fun seaweed cookery can be.

Eggwrack seafood parcels Blidingia marginata and B. minima can be found 450g (1lb) mixed fresh seafood Cut 2.5cm (1”) bladders from fresh covering upper to mid-shore 1 glass dry white wine 4eggwrack, trimming the edges with rocks and boulders, almost Juice of half a lemon scissors, and boil for 20 minutes. (Allow like green hair. Although Salt and pepper a few more than you need as some will tubular, the strands are 1 tbsp double cream not return to shape.) fine, like filaments, and 20-30 medium-sized bladders of eggwrack consequently don’t become Ascophyllum nodosum Make a small slit in each bladder, full of sand. I therefore 225g (8oz) plain flour 5along the midline at one end. When prefer to use this rather than 1 large egg, beaten you squeeze the sides to stuff it, it gutweed Ulva intestinalis – 300ml (½ pt) ice-cold beer or cider should look like a mini whale! (Don’t but you could also use sea Oil for deep-frying slit along the smooth side of the folds lettuce and related species. 100g (3½ oz) dabberlocks Alaria esculenta as the flesh will turn in and look like a Wash it in seawater to retain 100g (3½ oz) sea lettuce Ulva lactuca large coffee bean – impossible to stuff.) its saltiness before drying 1 tbsp sea-rinsed Blidingia seaweed powder Carefully stuff each one with the creamy it in a low oven or food Tartare sauce seafood, without enlarging the slit. dehydrator and powdering it. Dabberlocks Alaria METHOD Mix up a light tempura batter using esculenta can be Boil/steam the washed seafood for a 6the flour, egg, beer and seasoning, enormous, growing up 1few minutes in a covered pan with a and toss all the stuffed eggwrack to 5m (16ft) long. It has little wine. Then, when slightly cooled, bladders in the batter. a distinct northern and shell and chop finely. western distribution pattern Remove a few at a time with a slotted and is commonly found at Boil the chopped seafood in a couple 7spoon and deep-fry them in hot oil, the lower intertidal zone and 2of tablespoons of wine, the juice of half turning occasionally, until golden-brown. in deep rock pools on very a lemon, and a little salt and pepper for exposed and wave-battered another minute or two until virtually dry. Serve on a bed of crispy deep-fried shores. Use very freshly 8dabberlocks (after cutting out the washed-up specimens or Transfer to a small bowl and mix midrib to use in other recipes) and sea cut to leave one-third of the 3in a tablespoon of double cream. lettuce, dusted with Blidingia powder, basal frond. Refrigerate for 30 minutes. with tartare sauce alongside. 

70 Country kitchen August 2010 71 WILD food

Seafood seaweed noodles

Serves 2-3 Rinse the Gracilariopsis and boil it for 450g (1lb) fresh laver 22 minutes in water, then throw the 100g (3½ oz) long wart weed water out. Gracilariopsis longissima 300g (10½ oz) mixed seafood: mussels, Gently fry the seafood, sea beet, crab, prawns, squid etc. (these can come in 3samphire, dulse, chilli and shallots precooked frozen packs – great but don’t for 5 minutes. refreeze) 50g (1¾ oz) sea beet, shredded Boil the laver stock. Add the 50g (1¾ oz) marsh samphire tops 4precooked Gracilariopsis and the rice 50g (1¾ oz) dulse, shredded noodles. Boil for 2-3 minutes and strain. 1 red chilli, seeded and finely sliced 2 shallots, finely sliced In a small bowl mix the oyster A bundle of vermicelli rice noodles 5sauce and a cup of water into the 2-3 tbsp oyster sauce cornflour. 1 tbsp cornflour Seasoning In a clean pan combine all the 50g (1¾ oz) mixed fresh parsley and 6ingredients except the herbs and boil coriander, finely chopped to thicken. Season to taste and serve sprinkled with the chopped parsley and METHOD coriander. Boil the thoroughly rinsed laver in a 1few pints of water for 1 hour. Strain l This also works very well as a Thai to leave a pint of stock. noodle soup with coconut milk, Thai spices and a few more chunky vegetables.

Jamaican Irish moss drink is renowned as an energising aphrodisiac drink in the West Indies. Experiment and enjoy the benefits!

Jamaican Irish moss drink

Renowned as an energising aphrodisiac drink

in the West Indies, this recipe has countless  variations. Some don’t require milk but use Essential resources Chocolate seaweed nests rum or wine instead; others have nuts such as Seasearch Guide to Seaweeds of cashews blended in. Experiment and enjoy the Britain, Ireland and the Channel 100g (3½ oz) long wart weed Gracilariopsis in a pastry brush and paint a round chocolate of greaseproof paper or baking parchment benefits! This may also work with grape pip Isles by Francis Bunker, Juliet Brodie, longissima disk on a non-stick surface, approximately to make the piping bag). Allow to cool in the weed Mastocarpus stellatus, as both can be Christine Maggs and Anne Bunker. 1 litre (1¾ pt) Grand Marnier 2mm (1/16”) thick. Then place all the chilled fridge for an hour. used when making Irish moss desserts. Marine Conservation Society, July 115g (4oz) organic fairtrade dark chocolate Gracilariopsis in the chocolate pan. Rapidly 2010. This was not yet published at 3 or more small egg-shaped eggwrack bladders turn it over with a fork to mix all the Melt the white chocolate, one-third of 1 large handful of sun-blanched and dried Irish the time of writing this article, but (trim the edges with scissors to achieve this) chocolate in and around it. 7the bar at a time, in a small deep ladle moss Chondrus crispus I have seen parts of it on Francis’s 115g (4oz) organic fairtrade milk chocolate over a pan of hot water. Using a pin, dip ½pt milk, or more to adjust to desired computer. It is a great photographic A little cream (optional) Now for the messy part! Pick up the one chocolate-filled bladder into the white consistency ID guide covering over 120 seaweeds 115g (4oz) organic fairtrade white chocolate 4chocolatey seaweed mass, pulling and chocolate to coat it. Support it, suspended 1 can unsweetened condensed milk identifiable by eye or with a hand squeezing it through your hand to remove from the pin, until it is dry (I stuck the pin 2 tbsp honey (or more to taste) lens. This will definitely be the METHOD excess chocolate. Divide it into four to six into a block of cold butter still in the pack). 85g (3oz) pre-soaked linseed standard amateur guide for some time Wash the Gracilariopsis in a bowl of tap stringy/ropey pieces. Lay these in a ring Clean out the ladle and melt the next third Pinch of nutmeg, to taste to come. They’ve even given all the 1water, changing the water several times. on top of the edge of the chocolate disk, of the chocolate. Repeat until all ‘eggs’ are Pinch of cinnamon, to taste seaweeds common names as well – Boil it for 5 minutes (it will turn from red to allowing each piece a few minutes to set in covered. Place the eggs in the nest. Half a vanilla pod some quite amusing. green). Lay it out on a non-stick tray and dry place before adding the next one. Make it it in a low oven or dehydrator. This takes 1 look as nest-like as possible. Leave to set Enjoy the madness of it all! l Irish Seaweed Kitchen by Prannie hour at 52°C (125°F) in a food dehydrator. (approximately 1 hour). 8 METHOD Rhatigan. Booklink, 2010. This book is Place the Irish moss, milk, condensed simply inspirational! Carefully, without breaking it, submerge Boil the eggwrack bladders for 30 minutes l Gracilariopsis longissima is probably 1milk, honey, linseed, nutmeg, cinnamon 2the now dry wiry seaweed in a shallow 5in two changes of water and pat dry. If widely distributed, but under-recorded. It and scraped-out vanilla seeds in a pan. l Edible Seashore: River Cottage tray containing all the Grand Marnier. Leave they fill with water, squeeze it all out. does particularly well on the North Kent Simmer, stirring regularly, for 30 minutes. Handbook No. 5 by John Wright, to soak for 3 hours. Shake off excess spirit coast and, when not broken free, will be 2009. and freeze for a few hours. Melt the milk chocolate, adding a little found attached to small pebbles across the Liquidise until smooth, and serve hot 6cream if you want a soft truffle-type whole intertidal zone. It seems to prefer 2or cold. Whisk up before serving if l www.wildmanwildfood.com/ Melt the dark chocolate in a small bain- centre. Make a small incision in each bladder silty/sandy beaches. drinking cold (perhaps adding a little extra pages/seaweeds.html – seaweed 3marie (a pan immersed in hot water). Dip and pipe in the melted chocolate (use a bit milk and honey). information on my website.

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