Update:  This photo was published in TAPS The Beer Magazine in the November/December 2012 issue!

I had never heard of dulse until I started making travel plans to the east coast of Canada.  So when we were in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Krystal and I went looking for this and were lucky enough to find it at the City Market.  We purchased a bag of hand picked, sun dried dulse and brought it back to Ontario.  I wanted to share what I’ve learned as this might be of interest [in particular] to vegetarians, vegans, gardening enthusiasts and people who have anemia or hypothyroidism.  Note:  If you have hyperthyroidism, however, it may not be appropriate for you to consume dulse.

Dulse is a red coloured seaweed that is an excellent source of minerals and vitamins (ie. iodine, iron, vitamin B6, B12, and potassium).  It can be eaten fresh or dried and can also be found in powder form in some health food stores.  I have to admit, I much prefer the taste and texture of various Asian seaweeds, but I use the dulse in miso soup (recipe here).  Fried dulse, however, is beautifully crispy and tastes better in the sense that it tastes more like the Asian seaweeds (see below for how to pan fry dulse).

Some Uses for Dulse:

• dulse has been used medicinally (If you are considering doing this, please do a lot of research and consult a physician first.)
• use it in your garden for healthier plants (sprinkle powdered dulse over the soil)
• powdered dulse can be used instead of salt for a low-sodium seasoning option

Cooking with Dulse:

• make a “nacho” platter using dulse instead of chips (crispy pan fried dulse topped with cheese and salsa, etc. and baked) – see below for how to pan fry dried dulse
• use crispy, pan fried dulse as a bacon substitute (ie. in sandwiches) – see below for how to pan fry dulse
• I’ve seen creative recipes that used dulse in: deep fry batter/breading, quiche, risotto, vegan tofu scramble, fingerling potatoes, potato pancakes, etc.  (do a google search)
• in Iceland, dulse is boiled and served with butter

• powdered dulse can be used as a thickener in soups, stews, chowders, etc.
• add powdered dulse to your vegetable juice or shakes
• add dried or powdered dulse to your soups, salads, dressings, sauces, casseroles, bread or pizza dough

Cooking Tips:

• When cooking with dulse, keep in mind that it is already salty so reduce the amount of salt that you add to your dish accordingly.
• If you’re using dried dulse (and you’re not pan frying it), soak it in cold water for 10 minutes prior to using.

How To Pan Fry Dried Dulse: Coat the bottom of a skillet with a thin layer of vegetable oil and heat over medium high heat.  When the oil is hot, pan fry pieces of dried dulse for about 2 to 3 seconds per side.  The dulse burns easily so as soon as both sides of the dulse have changed colour to a dull green, remove it from the hot oil and transfer it to a brown paper bag lined plate.  The dulse will crisp up as it cools.  Dulse is already salty, so there is no need to add salt.