Laverbread is not a bread. It is a thick paste made from laver seaweed that was traditionally spread on bread or toast. It has a very savoury, umami taste and, in its heyday, was exported – mainly from Wales – all across Britain. It’s a vital source of iodine, hence the pre-war expression “Eat up your laverbread or you’ll get Derbyshire neck” referring to the swelling on the neck (goitre) associated with hypothyroidism caused by extreme iodine deficiency. You can harvest your own on the British shoreline from the first few months of the year on.
One of the things that puts a lot of people off making laverbread today, is that old recipes call for boiling the laver for up to 8 hours to tenderise it. However, I have an incredibly simple way to make it, that also reduces the smell of it cooking, but you do require one vital piece of equipment – a slow cooker!
Ingredients
6 litres of laver seaweed
150ml applecider vinegar or lemon juice
Optional seasonings: Salt, pepper, chilli powder or soy sauce
Directions
Wash the laverbread very well in cold running water through a colander. Ensure there is no sand or grit left behind. The squeeze out the excess water in your hands. Fill the crock pot of your slow cooker and add 150ml of apple cider vinegar or lemon juice. This helps to break down and tenderise the laver. Put the lid on, switch it onto the high setting, and leave for 8 hours.
I just fill mine in the evening and go to bed! In the morning – instant laverbread! All you will need to do now is make sure that any on the top or sides has become a paste. If in doubt, a quick whizz in the blender or with a stick blender will make sure the consistency is right.
Season to your taste. I sometimes make a chili version or a soy version. It freezes extremely well in freezerbags.
Use to add flavour to cooking as you would use tomato paste or garlic paste. Add to sauces and gravies, or use with oatmeal to make laverballs or lavercakes.
Think I might have a go
Works a treat! Had it with bacon on the beach …delish!! Thank you.
Thanks for the recipe! Would it work with other seaweeds?
It works with sea lettuce (Ulva lactuca) but not the tougher ones.
Will it work with Bladderseaweed?
Sorry to be a pain.
Liam
Bladderwrack has never been used to make paste in my experience. Very young bladderwrack fronds are best steamed – then it has a flavour like young green beans.
Yes but make sure they’re worth eating. Some taste disgusting. Really nice with cockles on thick crusty toast 🏴
It is serious but which is the official seaweed + what does it look like?
Hi Philip, the species name is Porphyra umbilicalis. There are several Porphyra species and they are interchangeable in use.
Porphyra umbilicalis or Porphyra dioica can both be used.
Can this be made from dried laver?
Yes but soak it to reconstitute it first.
Can it be made with Japanese Nori or Wakame
Absolutely, yes!
Forgive me, I’m a silly American (with some Welsh ancestry) forced to use imperial measurements (i dearly wish we used metric)…. If I have dried laver and I soak it to rehydrate, then strain it… I need 6 liters for this recipe, is that equivalent to 24 cups, or about 1.5 gallons of seaweed? And i just put it in the slow cooker with no added liquid other than the lemon juice or vinegar? Is it just inherently wet enough that it contains all the moisture it needs? Am I understanding this correctly? 🌿
TBH I don’t measure it myself. I pick enough to loosely fill my slow-cooker pot, rinse it and give it a squeeze, then put it in with 1/2 cup of apple cider vinegar. If there’s too much liquid at the end you can always evaporate some off; if too little add a bit of water. The trick is to cook it low and slow until it becomes a lovely smooth paste.