Yamitsuki Cabbage

 

This is the perfect accompaniment for any Asian BBQ. If you are grilling Korean short ribs, Japanese fish or Teriyaki baby backs....you will not find a better salad to serve alongside your masterpiece. This salad is considered a Japanese national treasure....which was made famous by the highly regarded BBQ chain Gyu-Kaku.  And what's not to love? Green cabbage gently tossed with toasted sesame oil, garlic, sesame seeds and the umami king...dried seaweed.

If you don't have any of the ocean's weed on hand, just type "seaweed" into the search function on Amazon.com and you'll find a huge number of options. I used Pacific Kombu, which is dried kelp. But any seaweed that hits your fancy will do. If you're a basmati rice fan, you might have some Nori Kumi Furikake on hand. That will do in a pinch, but I would encourage you to get real dried seaweed...it absolutely makes this salad. One word of advice when making this: follow the quantities in the recipe precisely. If you don't, the salad will not be properly seasoned. This salad serves four.

   

INGREDIENTS

4 cups of firmly packed, chopped green cabbage

1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt

1 firmly packed teaspoon of dried seaweed flakes

2 tablespoons toasted white sesame seeds, plus more for garnish

2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil

2 cloves garlic, pressed or very finely minced

DIRECTIONS

1. Place cabbage in a large bowl. Sprinkle salt and seaweed on the cabbage. Toss to mix thoroughly.
2. In a small bowl, mix the sesame oil and garlic. Then pour over cabbage. Add sesame seeds to cabbage.
3. Toss salad to mix thoroughly, then plate to small salad dishes. Garnish with extra sesame seeds, then serve.