[Updated Daily] The crunchy texture of mekabu is one of a kind! Mekabu, Nagaimo, and Chicken Breast with Plum Dressing - 50-Day Seaweed Challenge #17

Starting September 1st, I will cook a dish using seaweed every night for 50 days and post it on note daily. This is known as the "50-Day Seaweed Challenge."

You can find the reason why I eat seaweed every day here. My ultimate goal is to compile my seaweed-eating records into a ZINE.

Today, I'm sharing a dish featuring mekabu and nagaimo (Japanese mountain yam) that is perfect for when the heat returns during the day, even though the mornings and nights are starting to feel like autumn.

Nagaimo is an autumn/winter vegetable that comes into season around November and December. It's a versatile ingredient that shows many faces: crunchy when sliced and eaten raw, gooey when grated, and fluffy when cooked.

Today's seaweed meal is "Mekabu, Nagaimo, and Chicken Breast with Plum Dressing."

Ingredients (for 2 servings)

Mekabu... 1 pack (40g)
Vinegar soy sauce included with the mekabu... 1 packet

Nagaimo... 150g
Pickled plums (not sweet)... 2 medium-sized
Chicken breast... 1/2 piece

Bonito flakes... to taste

The vinegar soy sauce that comes with the mekabu can be substituted with 1 teaspoon of soy sauce and a little vinegar (adjust while tasting after adding the plums). Seasoned mekabu is also fine.

Also, I added chicken breast today for volume, but you can omit it if you prefer to make it more of a side dish.

Instructions (Total time: approx. 30 minutes, including boiling and chilling in the refrigerator)

1. Boil or microwave the chicken breast to make boiled (steamed) chicken.
While it's heating, proceed with steps 2 through 4.

2. Wash the nagaimo, peel it or remove the whiskers by scraping with the back of a knife, and cut it into irregular chunks.

3. Remove the pits from the pickled plums, put the nagaimo from step 2 and the plums into a sturdy bag, and crush the nagaimo by pressing with a rolling pin or the bottom of a bottle. Once crushed, chill in the refrigerator for about 15 minutes.

By putting the plums in together, there's no need to mince them separately.

I crush them because washing a grater is a hassle, and having some solid texture from the nagaimo makes it more satisfying to eat.

4. Place the chicken breast on a plate, add the mekabu and the chilled mixture from step 3, and toss together.

4. Sprinkle with as much bonito flakes as you like and it's done!

In supermarket aisles, you'll often find mekabu right next to the mozuku. I've bought mozuku often in the past, but I haven't really eaten much mekabu.

Mekabu has a crunchy texture that goes beyond just 'crispy'! Today, I used one pack for two people, but it had plenty of presence, and I felt like I was chewing more thanks to the mekabu. Needless to say, the combination of mekabu, nagaimo, and plum was outstanding.

If you are interested in seaweed dishes, please follow this magazine and stay tuned. I will continue to share tips for seaweed dishes for 50 days!