VegetarianNorthern Irish cuisine Starters

Dulse and Yellowman

Name: Dulse and Yellowman
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 35 min
Yield: 6 servings
Cuisine: Northern Irish
Ingredients: 50 g dried dulse; 225 g golden syrup; 150 g soft light brown sugar; 75 g caster sugar; 40 g Unsalted butter; 1 tbsp White vinegar; 2 tbsp cold water; 2 tsp bicarbonate of soda

Crisp, honeycombed yellowman toffee paired with salty, chewy dried dulse seaweed, the iconic Causeway Coast fairground treat.

🇬🇧United Kingdom· County Antrim and the Causeway Coast

Prep: 15 min
Cook: 20 min
Total: 35 min
Servings: 6
Difficulty: Medium
Calories: 265 kcal

Ingredients

0 of 8 gathered

Servings

50 g dried dulse — sun-dried coastal red seaweed, wiped clean of any shell grit
225 g golden syrup — partially inverted refiners syrup
150 g soft light brown sugar — packed
75 g caster sugar — white fine sugar
40 g Unsalted butter — cubed
1 tbsp White vinegar — helps stabilise the syrup
2 tbsp cold water — to dissolve sugars evenly
2 tsp bicarbonate of soda — sifted to remove lumps

Equipment

•heavy-based saucepan
•sugar thermometer
•20cm square baking tin
•greaseproof paper
•balloon whisk
•wooden spoon

Nutrition

Per serving, approximate

Calories: 265 kcal
fat: 6 g
carbs: 56 g
fibre: 1 g
protein: 1 g
calories: 265 kcal

Instructions

1
Line a 20cm square baking tin with greaseproof paper and lightly grease the surface.
2
Add the brown sugar, caster sugar, golden syrup, butter, vinegar, and water into a heavy-based saucepan.
3
Heat gently on the hob over low heat, stirring constantly until all the sugar crystals dissolve completely.
4
Increase the heat to medium and bring the syrup mixture to a steady rolling boil without stirring.
5
Boil until the sugar thermometer reaches 150C, which is the hard-crack stage.
6
Remove the saucepan immediately from the heat source onto a heatproof worktop.
7
Tip in the sifted bicarbonate of soda and whisk vigorously for five seconds until pale and foaming.
8
Pour the rising mixture instantly into the prepared baking tin without scraping the saucepan sides.
9
Leave the yellowman to cool and harden fully at room temperature for at least two hours.
10
Break the crisp toffee into irregular shards with a rolling pin or small toffee hammer.
11
Serve the sweet yellowman chunks on a platter alongside generous handfuls of chewy dried dulse.

Chef's tips

Watch the sugar thermometer carefully as the syrup approaches 150C, because the temperature climbs rapidly towards the end. Do not stir the bubbling sugar syrup once boiling begins, or the mixture may crystallise and turn grainy. Sifting the bicarbonate of soda beforehand prevents bitter, unmixed pockets of soda in the honeycomb.

Ingredient substitutions

unsalted butter → plant-based block butter for a dairy-free alternative
white vinegar → cider vinegar or fresh lemon juice

Storage

Store the yellowman shards in an airtight tin lined with greaseproof paper and keep the dulse in a separate dry paper bag at room temperature for up to two weeks.

Reheating

Yellowman is served at room temperature and must not be heated or refrigerated, as moisture will cause the honeycomb to dissolve.

Common mistakes to avoid

•Scraping the bottom and sides of the boiling pan into the tin, which causes dense, deflated toffee
•Removing the syrup from the heat before 150C, resulting in sticky, chewy toffee rather than brittle honeycomb
•Washing the dried dulse in fresh water, which removes its natural sea salt coating and ruins the crisp texture

Serving suggestions

Serve in traditional paper cones or brown greaseproof bags with alternating bites of salty dulse and crunchy yellowmanPair with a hot mug of strong Ulster breakfast tea to balance the rich sweetnessCrush leftover yellowman over vanilla ice cream with a tiny pinch of crumbled dulse for a modern coastal dessert