Easiest Abalone Chinese Recipe: Subtle Flavors of a Fast Recipe!

Abalone, a marine species of gastropod mollusk, has earned popularity as a seafood. It has a briny flavor, just like you get from any shellfish. The best way to enjoy abalone is to keep it as simple as possible. Only then you get the original flavor of this seafood.

Today, I will show you the abalone Chinese recipe, where fresh abalone is prepared with some vegetables and sauce. The fragrant sauce along with the vegetables will complement the subtle flavor and dense texture of abalone. As there isn’t a lot of cooking involved, this recipe will be complete in a short time. Let’s get going.

Recipe Table

I always try to provide the key information in an organized way so that you find them at once. Here is the overview chart for this recipe.

Course: Main	Cuisine: Chinese		Difficulty: Easy
Total Time: 15 minutes
Serving		Preparation Time	Cooking Time	Calories
1 person		5 minutes	10 minutes	133 kcal

Tools and Utensils You Need

Make sure you have the following tools and utensils ready.

1. A can opener
2. A kitchen knife
3. A chopping board
4. A frying pan
5. A small bowl
6. Chopsticks
7. A spatula
8. A serving plate

Ingredients Needed for the Recipe

Using too many ingredients in abalone recipes suppresses the original flavor of abalone. So, I will use as few ingredients as possible.

• Abalone: 1 large abalone, wild-caught
• Leafy Green: 200g of leafy green vegetables
• Shallot: 1 pc, finely chopped
• Garlic: 2-3 cloves, minced
• Ginger: 1-inch block
• Oyster Sauce: 1 tbsp
• Cornstarch: 1 tbsp
• Oil: 2 tsp

Abalone Chinese Recipe: Step-By-Step Instructions

For this recipe, you actually don’t need to cook the abalone. Let me show you the detailed process.

Step 1: Prepare the Abalone

Fresh, wild-caught abalone is really soft. So, there is no need to cook it. First, take the abalone out of the can and save the water for later. Slice the abalone thinly using a sharp knife.

You Can Also Try: Chinese Scallops Recipe

Step 2: Cook the Vegetables

Boil water in a pot. Once the water boils, add a block of ginger and 1 tsp of oil to the water. Then, put the leafy green vegetables into the boiling water. Cook the vegetables for about 3 minutes. Then, strain the vegetables out and let them cool.

Step 3: Make the Sauce

Take the abalone water you saved earlier in a small bowl. Add 1 tbsp of cornstarch to it. Heat oil in a pan and fry shallots and garlic in the oil. Once the raw smell of shallots and garlic is gone, add 1 tbsp of oyster sauce. Then, stir-fry the aromatics for one more minute.

After that, add the abalone water and cornstarch mixture to the pan. Cook the sauce for a few minutes until it thickens.

Step 4: Assemble the Dish

Place the cooked vegetables on the serving plate. Then, put the sliced abalone on top of the vegetables. Finally, pour the sauce over everything and enjoy the amazing flavor of abalone.

Nutrition Facts of the Recipe

Abalone is a high-protein seafood that is also rich in other nutrients. Each serving of this dish contains only 133 calories. Let me give you a list of the nutrients first and then I will discuss its health benefits.

• Total Carbohydrates: 16g
• Protein: 7.6g
• Total Fat: 4.3g
• Saturated Fat: 0.8g
• Polyunsaturated Fat: 1.4g
• Monounsaturated Fat: 1.7g
• Total Dietary Fiber: 0.8g
• Total Sugar: 0.7g
• Cholesterol: 30mg
• Sodium: 823mg
• Potassium: 167.5mg
• Calcium: 34mg
• Iron: 1.5mg
• Vitamin A: 90IU
• Vitamin C: 32mg

Abalone is enriched in Omega-3 fatty acids, which reduces the risk of heart disease. Besides, it has antioxidants, which slow down the aging process. Abalone also has anti-inflammatory properties, so it can improve your digestive health.

As you can see in the list, the amount of unsaturated fat in abalone is much higher than saturated fat. The amount of cholesterol is low, so you can consume it without any issues.

Do’s and Don’ts of the Recipe

By following these tips, you can make abalone recipes better and reduce the hassle.

Do’s

• When cooking the vegetables, don’t put the lid on. It will prevent the vegetables from discoloration and preserve the bright green color.
• You can use vegetables like broccoli, cabbage, etc., besides leafy greens. However, leafy greens get cooked much faster than these vegetables.

Don’ts

• Don’t slice the abalone too thinly. It is very delicate and thin slices will break down easily. Keep the thickness of each slice about 1cm.
• Don’t put salt in the abalone. It is already a bit salty and the abalone water also contains salt.

Is There Any Other Ways I Can Prepare Abalone?

Of course. You can enjoy abalone in many ways. Other than this raw abalone recipe, you can make pan-fried abalone. After removing the meat from the shell, you need to sear the abalone over high heat. It gives a bit of charred edges to the abalone, which increases its flavor.

You can also make soy-glazed abalone by cooking the abalone in a rich sauce made of soy sauce, oyster sauce, and various spices.

Is the Whole Abalone Edible?

If you are getting abalone with the shell, you must discard the shell. This hard shell isn’t edible and it has a lot of dirt. You just need to extract the soft part inside the shell. You might think that the gut of the abalone isn’t also edible.

However, that is totally wrong. It is true that you shouldn’t eat the gut raw. But if you clean the gut properly and cook it thoroughly, the abalone gut is also edible.

Is Abalone Halal?

There are debates regarding the permission to eat abalone in Islam. According to some scholars from the Hanafi School of Thought, abalone is categorized under sea vermins. So, they are haram and Muslims shouldn’t eat it.

According to other Schools of Thought, eating seafood is halal. So, abalone might be halal to some and haram to others. I recommend you follow what your School of Thought says.

How Expensive Is Abalone?

Abalone is quite expensive. The reason for this is the rarity of this seafood item. Depending on the production capability and market demand, the price of abalone can be sky-high. The price also depends on other factors, such as the species, size, etc.

Low-grade abalone costs about $400-$500 per kg. High-grade abalone can cost about $1,000-$1,200 per kg. The cost can even be higher if the production is scarce.

Discussion Recap

Abalone is a delicacy that only expert hands can manage. One wrong step and you can ruin the whole magic of this rare seafood item. However, abalone tastes great if you can make it right. I showed you a simple recipe where you don’t even need to cook abalone.

You just slice it like steaks and serve it on a bed of cooked leafy greens. The abalone water is used to make a thick sauce that is spread over the abalone and the vegetables. When you take a bite, you can feel the softness and jiggly texture of abalone. Besides, the fiber from the leafy greens perfectly complements this dense seafood dish.