recipe
Snapper cured in kelp
I have long felt that seaweed is underused as a food source in Australia. We import nori in processed form, but so many varieties exist in our own waters. These seaweed varieties have the capacity to preserve protein and also impart a beautiful, rounded flavour as a natural monosodium glutamate (MSG).
MSG has copped a lot of grief because it is a synthetic reproduction and is an additive to fast foods. As a flavour compound it is a direct pathway to our fifth taste, which, in addition to sweet, salty, sour and bitter, is savoury or umami. This compound exists naturally in seaweed and just by adding small quantities to salads or soups you can enhance the flavour in most meals. It’s the missing link.
It has been a long path to getting commercial quantities of local seaweed to our tables, with a few outfits providing both wild (Southern Seagreens in Victoria) and propagated (Sea Forest). Sea Forest started out by providing an additive to livestock feed in order to lessen methane production, but it’s exciting to see that some of the many seaweed varieties produced make the journey to our plates.
In this recipe, I have included kombu seaweed and used the common Japanese method of kombujime, which is a technique used to enhance the taste of raw fish by curing the fish between two sheets of kelp. However, I also use kelp or any broad seaweed for the same application. For best results, the base sheet of seaweed should be dehydrated, as that pulls the salt compounds to the surface more and achieves a stronger cure. Using fresh seaweed does result in a stronger flavour, so feel free to swap depending on your flavour preference.
Once the fish is cured, it will have the same shelf life as gravlax (about a week). You can cure whole fillets of smaller fish to store, then slice them thinly each time you want to serve them. Make sure you leave the whole fish wrapped in the seaweed for two days before slicing to serve.
Time: 30 minutes preparation + 18 hours curing
Serves 4 as a light meal
- 500g snapper fillet (skinless and boneless)
- enough kombu/kelp to create two large sheets, half of it dehydrated (optional)
- 60ml sake
- 1 leek
- iced water
- 100g bean sprouts
- 1 Lebanese cucumber
- 5cm piece kombu, shredded
- 10ml sesame oil
- 10ml honey
- 30ml white soy
- 15ml rice wine vinegar
- 2 tbsp toasted sesame seeds
- Slice the snapper finely across the grain and lay the slices on one of the kombu/seaweed sheets.
- Sprinkle the sake over the fish using your fingers or pour the sake into an atomiser and spray it over the top of the sliced fish, then cover the fish with the second sheet of kombu. Pat the kombu onto the fish slices, place onto a tray and cover with greaseproof paper. Refrigerate overnight, ideally for 18 hours.
- Prepare the salad by shredding the leek and placing it into iced water together with the bean sprouts.
- Slice the cucumber on the round and lightly salt for five minutes before squeezing the excess liquid out.
- Shred the kombu and add to the iced water mixture and let it sit for 10 minutes.
- Remove the leek, sprouts and kombu from the iced water and let them drain onto a paper towel.
- In a separate bowl mix the sesame oil, honey, white soy and vinegar and combine well with a fork until the honey has dissolved. Add the vegetable mix and the salted, squeezed cucumber to the dressing, then add the sesame seeds.
- To serve, place the salad into bowls, then top with the slices of lightly cured fish.
This article was first published in the print edition of The Saturday Paper on May 3, 2025 as "Kombu to a goose".
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