Abalone

[tissue]

Abalone used to be quite common along the california coast. No longer.

How do you like your abalone prepared? Whole? Sliced? Grilled? Braised? Or in soup?

[cabrales]

Well, if it's not the dried Chinese type abalone and it is fresh abalone, sashimi.

[Schielke]

What is abalone sashimi like? Is it much like surf clam or giant clam? How does the flavor compare?

I have seen a tank of abalone at a fish market in the International District here in Seattle. Funny looking things. As I understand it one type of abalone cannot be fished any more in certain parts of the world. I guess it is pretty pricey in Japan too. The abalone at the place I mentioned before was not overly expensive I remember.

Ben

[tissue]

I have never had abalone sashimi. But I eat mirugai (geoduck) quite frequently.

[cabrales]

US abalone, fresh, tends to be crunchier and denser than conch or any of the clams generally found in US sashimi venues. It has a wonderful crispness. Second, fresh (and dried) abalone tends to have a little ridge of flesh material with little indentations, along certain of its outer perimenters. Nice texture there too. Third, abalone, which is principally white or off-white in its principal component, sometimes has some greyish or blackish material that is not akin to the coraile of scallop in taste, but that is something very different in taste and texture (softer, like ankima or monkfish liver) than the principal component of the abalone. That's my take.

Abalone comes in many different types, the respective prices of which vary greatly. The very expensive abalone sampled in Chinese cuisine is not the same as the fresh US abalone.

[Stone]

I've heard that canned or dried abalone is almost as good as fresh. Anyone agree with this? (I've never tried either.)

[helenas]

So what one does with dried abalone?

[Jon Tseng]

I've heard that canned or dried abalone is almost as good as fresh.  Anyone agree with this?  (I've never tried either.)

I think canned and dried is different - and indeed highly prized. Certainly good canned abalone can be as highly prized - or even more so - than fresh.

I've only cooked fresh abalone once - beaten to tenderise, cut into strips and stir-fried with shiitake mushrooms (similar meaty texture) and oyster sauce. I gather that, like squid, its something which needs to be cooked quick or long (or left raw) in order to stay tender. Its another one of these wierd chinese foods (sharks fin, birds nest, errr, camels foot anyone?) where the texture seems to exceed the taste.

Note that a variant of abalone is also found in the Channel Islands - its called an Ormer by locals and virtually never reaches the open market

cheerio

J

[cabrales]

Dried abalone one purchases in Asia has to be rehydrated and then prepared, usually using braising methods. Obviously, dried abalone cannot be eaten as sashimi. When it is of top quality and prepared skillfully and larger, it is a real delicacy. The best quality abalone are presented whole, for dried abalone. One has to be very careful not to be tricked when purchasing dried abalone as with other "expensive" ingredients.

The Ed Q&A has a question posed on canned abalone -- Calmex, which appears to be one of the stronger brands (Mexican abalone). There are versions from, say, Australia as well. I have been sampling a couple, and still believe Calmex is more attractive than any other cans I have sampled.

The fresh abalone that began this thread is what one can find at, say, Sushi Yasuda in NYC (not always available).

[helenas]

Cabrales, should i read from your post that one shouldn't buy the dried abalone in US asian groceries, ecpecially since it's sold sliced (meaning not whole).

It looks pretty, like my favorite dried fish filets...

[cabrales]

Helena -- There are different types of products at different levels of cost. If the abalone you describe is very inexpensive, it could be purchased and sampled depending on a diner's desires. I wouldn't subjectively buy it, though.

One can buy dried whole abalone in certain US Asian food markets, but one should be very careful.

Edited January 7, 2003 by cabrales (log)

[torakris]

The best abalone I have eaten was at onsen hotel in Atami, Japan. Part of a kaiseki dinner, each guest was given an abolone about the size of a man's palm and it was cooked just briefly at the table on a personal hibachi, then sliced and served. The only way to describe it was juicy, it was actually bursting with juice! Incredible, absolutely incredible!

[eatingwitheddie]

The best abalone I have eaten was at onsen hotel in Atami, Japan. Part of a kaiseki dinner, each guest was given an abolone about the size of a man's palm and it was cooked just briefly at the table on a personal hibachi, then sliced and served. The only way to describe it was juicy, it was actually bursting with juice! Incredible, absolutely incredible!

Hmm! Sounds good to me.

[Rhea_S]

My parents brought dried abalone with them during their Christmas visit. My mom soaked it then simmered in a light chicken broth. She added some pea shoots and blanched asparagus near the end of the cooking time. It was an excellent soup for Christmas Eve.

[Bond Girl]

There is one interesting Abalone recipe in the Nobu cookbook. But, I can't seemed to find fresh abalone in my east village neighborhood. Does anyone know where to find the stuff?

[Huevos del Toro]

You might consider partaking soon because it appears abalone, especially California abalone is on its way out. I used to dive for ab's just north of San Francisco in the early 60's and they were plentiful. No longer, it appears.

[mudbug]

I love abalone. So much so that I've had a can because I can't get fresh in the midwest.

Highly prized as mentioned above? Absolutely... the cost is $50 a can, and worth every delectable cent.

[Yuki]

If the abalone is small and fresh then it is best steamed with dried orange peel or grilled. I don't really like big and fresh abalone since it usually gets too tough during cooking.

If the abalone is dried then of course give it to my aunt to turn it into braised abalone. My aunt is a master in braising abalone and knows how to treat the abalones so they would have a "sweet centre" after braising. She told me that the abalones that are brought in most stores are usually not ready for consumption. The abalones are not completely dried yet so it is best for the buyer to put the abalone in a cool place and take it out into the sun every once or twice a year. Some of the cheaper dried abalone would also be good in soup.

[jtcookie]

Abalone used to be quite common along the california coast. No longer.

How do you like your abalone prepared? Whole? Sliced? Grilled? Braised? Or in soup?

←

Abalone is one of a growing number of marine edibles that has virtually disappeared from our plates, internationally.

We would gather a few from the close-to-shoreline rocks on the coast of the South Island of NZ. Out of their shell, cleaned, and bashed once on a smooth rock with a '4x2' by way of tenderizing them, they were thrown onto onto a sizzling hot plate beachside, with a dollop or two of butter, for about 30 seconds each side. Some liked them unsliced, served 'burger-style', but we usually sliced them and included them as part of our local assiette de fruits de mer which would also feature blue mussels and pipis, which are a native inter-tidal sand clam.

The abalone (paua is its Maori name) was sweet, saline, and oh! so succulent! Jon's description above is right on the money, and the pairing with shittake is sublime.

Back then restrictions were in force, and we would only take what we would be eating that evening, and then only shells longer than 7". Sadly these were not enough to halt the encroachment into native stocks, and when I asked on a visit last year, friends said that they hadn't had a good feed of paua for some years.

John

[annachan]

Abalone used to be quite common along the california coast. No longer.

How do you like your abalone prepared? Whole? Sliced? Grilled? Braised? Or in soup?

←

If it's a large abalone, we usually slice it up and make soup. For small ones, we just steam them.