Seaweed Salad

By Jason Ha and Sean An, Zip Fusion

Serves 2

¾ ounce (20 grams) dried seaweed (fureo wakame), soaked and finely shredded
½ cucumber, peeled
½ medium carrot, peeled
20 onion sprouts (may substitute alfalfa or other fine sprouts)
one 5 inch daikon radish, peeled
½ cup hiashi fresh seaweed, optional
2 round or square wonton skins
1/4 cup slivered nori seaweed
2 tablespoons norigoma furikake flakes
2 blocks soft tofu, sliced about 1/4 inch think by 2 inches long
2 tablespoons salad dressing, ZIP ginger dressing recommended
black sesame seeds, to taste

ZIP Ginger Dressing
2 cups Ponzu sauce
1 thumb-sized piece of ginger, peeled and grated
two 4 inch pieces orange pickled gobo, very finely minced
¼ medium white onion, grated or very finely minced

1. Stir the ingredients for the dressing together. Put into a squeeze bottle or small pitcher.

2. Use a Japanese rotary slicer to make fine threads of the cucumber and carrot in separate piles, or use a mandolin to slice very thin and then cut into very fine shreds. Slice daikon radish into thin strips by hand or with a mandolin and cut into very fine shreds.

3. Cut 2 wonton skins into very thin strips. Deep fry in corn oil until crispy but not very dark. Drain on paper towels. Form the shredded vegetables, sprouts and seaweed into individual balls about 2 inches in diameter by pressing them in the palms of your hands. Arrange the balls close together in the middle of a dinner plate.

4. In a layered ring around the vegetables, scatter the wonton strips, slivered nori and norigoma furikake flakes. Drizzle ZIP ginger dressing over the vegetable arrangement to taste. Place the tofu slices along the side of the plate in a domino fashion and drizzle the dressing on top. Sprinkle with the black sesame seeds. Present the dish with two forks or chopsticks and gently toss all the ingredients together before eating.

Chefs Quote: Although there are a number of ingredients in each of these easy-to-make recipes, the items are perfect Asian pantry builders because they store well and are used often in Asian cooking. All of the shredding, frying and dressing for the ZIP ginger dressing can be done several hours ahead, covered and refrigerated and assembled just before serving. We were taught from an early age in Korea that the sea is nature’s storehouse of beauty products and seaweed is one of the best. Our signature ZIP Seaweed Salad feeds all of the senses and has a crunchy texture added to it to make it really fun to eat.

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