This is simply a kind of sea-based mesclun with a distinctively sesame-flavored dressing. Wakame, a dark green, leafy seaweed, is sold dried almost everywhere and is the most common seaweed used in salad. Other seaweeds, ranging in color from light green to bright red to black and in texture from leafy to ferny, are all fine (see page 483). At most Japanese markets and some health food stores, you can find a prepackaged assortment of seaweed salad greens; these are a little more expensive than buying individual seaweeds but will give you a good variety without a big investment.You don’t need much: an ounce of dried seaweed, or even less, is enough to make a salad for four.

　　

Ingredients

makes 8 servings

　　2 ounces wakame or assorted seaweeds

　　2 medium to large cucumbers, preferably thin skinned, like English or Japanese

　　1 pound shredded cooked chicken or roughly chopped cooked shrimp, optional

　　1/2 cup minced shallot, scallion, or red onion

　　3 tablespoons soy sauce

　　2 tablespoons rice or other light vinegar

　　2 tablespoons mirin

　　2 tablespoons dark sesame oil

　　1/2 teaspoon cayenne, or to taste

　　Salt to taste

　　2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds (page 596), optional

　　

Step 1

Rinse the seaweed once and soak it in at least 10 times its volume of water for 5 minutes, until tender. Meanwhile, wash and dice the cucumbers; do not peel unless necessary.

　　

Step 2

Drain and gently squeeze the seaweed to remove excess water. Pick through the seaweed to sort out any hard bits (there may be none) and chop or cut up (it may be easier to use scissors than a knife) if the pieces are large. Combine the cucumbers and seaweed in a bowl. Add the chicken or shrimp if using.

　　

Step 3

Toss with the remaining ingredients except the sesame seeds; taste and add salt or other seasonings as necessary and serve, garnished with the sesame seeds if you like.

　　The Best Recipes in the World by Mark Bittman. © 2005 by Mark Bittman. Published by Broadway Books. All Rights Reserved.MARK BITTMAN is the author of the blockbuster The Best Recipes in the World (Broadway, 2005) and the classic bestseller How to Cook Everything, which has sold more than one million copies. He is also the coauthor, with Jean-Georges Vongerichten, of Simple to Spectacular and Jean-Georges: Cooking at Home with a Four-Star Chef. Mr. Bittman is a prolific writer, makes frequent appearances on radio and television, and is the host of The Best Recipes in the World, a 13-part series on public television. He lives in New York and Connecticut.