Ingredients
- 200 g fresh wakame
- 2 Lebanese cucumbers, halved lengthways and seeds removed
- 1 red apple, very finely sliced
- 100 g tenderised, boiled octopus
- 1 tsp toasted sesame seeds
- 10 g ginger, peeled and cut into julienne
Dashi stock
- 5 cm x 10 cm square dried kombu, soaked in 1-litre cold water overnight
- 15 g bonito flakes
Vinegar sauce
- 60 ml (¼ cup) dashi stock
- 30 ml rice vinegar
- 2 tsp Japanese soy sauce
- 1 tsp sugar
Instructions
For the dashi, place the kombu and soaking water in a saucepan and bring to just below the boil. Just before the water boils, remove the pan from the heat. Add the bonito flakes, then strain into a bowl. The dashi will keep in the refrigerator for 3 days.
For the vinegar sauce, place all the ingredients in a bowl and stir until the sugar dissolves.
Blanch the wakame in a saucepan of boiling water for a few seconds, then drain and refresh in iced water. Drain again, then place on a clean tea towel. Pat dry and squeeze out the excess water.
Thinly slice the cucumber on the diagonal, then place in a bowl with the apple. Season with a pinch of salt, toss to coat well and stand for 5 minutes. Gently squeeze out the excess liquid and place the cucumber and apple in a serving bowl.
Slice the octopus into bite-size pieces and the wakame into medium strips. Add to the bowl with the cucumber and apple. Rinse the ginger julienne briefly under cold water, drain well and add to the bowl, reserving one third for garnishing. Spoon the vinegar sauce over the octopus and gently toss. Serve scattered with the sesame seeds and remaining ginger.
Note:
• If you can’t get fresh wakame, you can rehydrate a 24g of dried wakame.
• To cook the octopus, drop into a saucepan of boiling water and cook for 5-10 minutes or until the tentacles start to curl and firm up. Drain and refresh in iced water to stop the cooking process. Slice the octopus between the tentacles and discard the beak.
• You may use powdered dashi stock if needed.
I changed the recipe as per the following:
I did not make the dashi, you can buy already made dashi from a Japanese store and I just added the rice vinegar and sugar to it.
For the octopus I boiled it for 5 mins with a tablespoon of vinegar and a teaspoon of salt.
This tenderises the octopus. After boiling I further tenderised the octopus by marinating it in milk overnight.
When you are ready to prepare the salad, cut it into the pieces, for the tentacles I slice it in half length wise so it is not so thick.
In hot olive oil I charr the octopus then season with salt and pepper.
It is light and such a great tasting dish to make!
