I’ve previously mentioned my liking for seaweed so I thought I would make my own to go with a martini.

After a fairly long walk on the Isle of Mull, I was looking around the beach for something edible to forage.

The tide was fairly high but there were several rockpools containing thick gutweed, as above.

This dark-green, grass-like seaweed lives in upper tidal areas, sometimes in pools, sometimes where streams meet the sea.

I harvested a small amount by hand, being careful not to take too much from the same pool. I squeezed them of liquid then put them in a plastic bag and walked home with them. I then rinsed them thoroughly in clean water.

I patted it dry, then added about a tablespoon of oil and around a teaspoon of sea salt and mixed it in thoroughly.

I roasted it on a high heat for about 30 minutes, stirring it once to prevent it from burning on the top level.

I then served it as a messy but tasty and savoury nibble to accompany the evening’s martinis. It tasted like the deep fried seaweed you often get in Chinese restaurants, except that it was actually made from seaweed and was roasted rather than fried.

It also makes a good salty-umami condiment for things like mashed potato or other seafood dishes.

Once cooked it also keeps for a few days but you might want to dry it out thoroughly to make sure it doesn’t become soggy.

I will definitely be making this again but remember to forage responsibly. Don’t take so much that you harm the ecosystem. Try to stick to clean coastal waters as well and be sure to rinse the seaweed thoroughly before cooking.