Sea asparagus experiences

[shootingstar]

It's rare to find this stuff in stores here even though it is native to west coast, Hawaii.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/8038020@N05/

Other names based on what I could figure out are: salicornia virginica, pickleweed, glasswort.

I bought 1/4 lb. since the price was good at a farmers' market yesterday. Woman ahead of me bought 1 lb. which is alot..for something that tastes naturally salty. Then suddenly there were 10 people crowding around, wanting to try this stuff. Another person bought a lb. after trying it for lst time. Amazing how a crowd of people can influence impulse buying.

In the past we just ate abit of it raw or put bits in sandwiches, treating it like capers or olives. I only bought 100 grams at that time.

Plan to make a focaccia and use it as a substitute for olives or capers. Lookin' forward to this. Might be an appetizer for dearie's birthday dinner.

Recipes I've found seem to suggest steaming it briefly and flavouring with lemon juice. Or raw bits in salads. Other recipes combine with pancetta: really, more salt???

Any culinary experiences with sea asparagus here?

[firenze11]

I don't have any recommendations or experiences with sea asparagus, but I wanted to come say thanks for posting this because I had never heard of it. It sounds and looks really really interesting. The focaccia idea sounds delicious, too. I wish I knew if we had it here so I could try some!

[Thorn]

I'd never heard of sea asparagus until a week or so ago--it was featured on the Food Channel's show Chopped. I don't think any of the chefs really succeeded using it.

You might want to see if anyone has the videos on line http://www.foodnetwork.com/chopped/index.html

[alimey]

ah yes - that's samphire. Or at least that's what it's called in the UK (& apparently the season is now!) It really is salty stuff - even if you rinse it. I boil or steam it lightly using no salt. It's delicious as a starter w/ unsalted butter or various other things (again, nothing with salt in). I also use it as a vegetable - goes nicely with fish & chicken.

It's delicious. I am doing a seafood bbq tomorrow night for my cycling friends so I think I will ask my fishmonger for some & do it as a light starter w/ babaganoush (or however that is spelt). Our fishmonger has been on our lane for 47 years & has a proper marble slab with all the fish & seafood laid out - I like to support him as I hope he stays in business.

Twice a week we have lightly grilled kippers from him w/ cayenne pepper - delicious (go straight on the bbq for a great camp breakfast) - oily omega 3, healthy & cheap!

[papaver]

I love the stuff! It is sooooooo goooooood. But don't use salt! I just stir fry it with some olive oil, that's it. Yummmmmmmmm!

[AlwayzOnDaMove]

I'm even originally from Hawaii and I never heard about it. Sounds really interesting though. What type of store did you find it in?

[shootingstar]

I'm even originally from Hawaii and I never heard about it. Sounds really interesting though. What type of store did you find it in?

In our neck of the country, it's not easily found. Think of foodie places where there's a tendency to includes (though not exclusively) customer base with a higher income/willing to pay abit of money because it can be abit expensive.

Occasionally I see sporadically around this time (or a few wks. earlier) at our markets. I bought our batch from one of the farmers' markets at a good price or at certain ethnic grocery stores. I did see it once at Japanese grocery store. (No, I doubt it's the sort of thing at a Chinese grocery store would carry.)

Might be useful to make some phone calls to save yourself the time and ask for store owner. Not everyone knows what it is.