Jellyfish salad with Chinese celery

Ingredients:

• 3 x 150g packages ready-to-eat or instant jellyfish, seasoning packets set aside for another use (see Note)
• 2 tablespoons white sesame seeds
• 3 tablespoons neutral vegetable oil, such as grapeseed oil
• 2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
• 2 green onions, thinly slice the white part separately from the green part
• 1 tsp gochukaru (Korean red pepper flakes), optional
• 3 tablespoons unsalted rice vinegar
• 1 tbsp soy sauce
• 1.5 tsp. dark sesame oil
• 1.5 tsp sugar
• 0.5 tsp ground white pepper
• 80 g Chinese celery, thinly sliced ​​diagonally (about 1 cup) + 2 tbsp coarsely chopped leaves

Preparation:

1. Rinse the jellyfish in cold water. In a medium bowl, mix the jellyfish with 2 teaspoons of salt, then transfer to a sieve set over the same bowl. Let sit for 10 minutes to allow the jellyfish to drain as much water as possible.
2. In a medium skillet, cover the sesame seeds with 2 tablespoons of cold water. Toast over medium heat until golden and popping, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a small bowl to cool.
3. In the same skillet, heat the vegetable oil over medium-low heat. Add the garlic and white part of the green onion. Cook until the garlic and onion are softened and the oil is fragrant, about 1 minute. Remove from heat, stir in the gochukara, if using, and set aside to cool.
4. In a medium bowl, combine rice vinegar, soy sauce, dark sesame oil, sugar, and white pepper until the sugar is completely dissolved. Add the jellyfish and celery. Stir in the garlic oil until smooth. Cover and marinate in the refrigerator until completely cool, at least 1 hour.
5. Just before serving, sprinkle the jellyfish with 1 tablespoon of toasted sesame seeds, then top with green onions, celery leaves, and the remaining 1 tablespoon of toasted sesame seeds.
6. Note
   
   There are many types of ready-to-eat jellyfish products and instant jellyfish products available in most Asian supermarkets. Some contain only the heads, while others come with the tentacles. Any type of jellyfish will work for this recipe, as long as they're not salted or dried. Ready-to-eat jellyfish are typically sold in 150-gram packages with seasoning packets. If you buy other package sizes, keep in mind that you should have at least 280 grams of unseasoned jellyfish.