Dulse, a type of seaweed that grows in the northern Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, is lauded as a health food that, according to some, tastes remarkably similar to bacon. Chef Ben Lustbader of Giant, challenged by Publican Anker‘s A.J. Walker to create a dish with the seaweed, was skeptical. “People call it the bacon of the sea,” he says. “I don’t really think it tastes a whole lot like bacon. One of my cooks described the flavor as malty, which seemed a little more on point to me.”
The seaweed flavor in the finished product is subtle, Lustbader says. “It definitely adds that little bit of minerality, but as far as oceanic flavors are concerned it’s not overwhelming in any way.” And he still doesn’t understand the bacon comparison, he says. “You’re not going to fool anyone by subbing it for bacon.”
100 g fried dulse
20 g slivered fresh Thai bird chilie
50 g chopped Thai basil
30 g lemon zest
Scallion-togarashi cream cheese
