Sesame Jellyfish
Submitted by Dent Cermak
Classic Chinese cold sesame jellyfish appetizer dressed in soy sauce, rice vinegar, and toasted sesame oil. Crunchy, slippery, and refreshing with a nutty sesame seed finish.
YIELD
4 servingsPREP
10 minCOOK
50 minREADY
1 hrsIf you’ve never tried jellyfish, this is the dish that will convert you. It’s a staple of Chinese cold appetizer platters, and the texture is unlike anything else on the table: snappy, crunchy, and slightly springy all at once.
The prep is mostly rinsing and soaking. Shredded jellyfish gets blanched in boiling water to soften, then rinsed through multiple changes of cold water to wash out the salt. After that, it’s just a toss in a simple dressing of light soy sauce, sesame oil, rice vinegar, and sugar.
Let it marinate for at least 30 minutes, scatter toasted sesame seeds on top, and serve cold. It’s clean, briny, and deeply savory. Pair it alongside other cold dishes like smashed cucumber salad or scallion pancakes for a proper spread.
Kitchen Tips
- Rinse thoroughly. Six changes of cold water sounds excessive, but preserved jellyfish is heavily salted. Cutting corners here leaves you with a dish that’s unpleasantly salty.
- Blot completely dry before dressing. Water clinging to the jellyfish dilutes the sauce and makes everything slide off.
- Serve cold or at cool room temperature. This is not a dish that benefits from heat. Keep it in the fridge until you’re ready to plate.
Ingredients
Directions
Rinse the jellyfish well in cold running water and drain.
Put it in a stainless steel bowl and cover with boiling water.
Let the jellyfish sit in the water for about 15 minutes or until it is tender.
Drain and continue to soak at least 6 times in several changes of cold water.
Drain thoroughly and blot dry with paper towels and set aside.
Mix soy sauce, sesame oil, vinegar and sugar in a small bowl.
Toss the jellyfish well in this sauce and let it sit for at least 30 minutes.
Just before serving, garnish with the sesame seeds.
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