Abalone - Chinese style

Several people had asked me how I cook my abalone. This video shows how I clean and cook it. Please note how easy it is to shuck an abalone if it has been previously frozen and thawed. And please, don't trim off and discard the skirt and the black stuff. They can be easily cleaned with a scotch pad, especially when the ab had been frozen and thawed. The ab is tender without the need for any pounding at all. Never overheat the ab. Low heat is key. That's why a crockpot is perfect for cooking abs. Enjoy!

ernest

Cool video, I'm going to have to try that one of these days.  Where are the mushrooms and bok choy??!! 

BTW, you have a bad-ass kitchen!

Haha... the main reason why they add the black mushrooms in Chinese restaurants is to confuse you, so you think they gave you a lot of ab slices. They normal don't put more than 10 slices of ab in one dish. The rest are just mushroom slices.
Like I said, you can use any vegetable you like. Sometimes I use baby bok choi.

Thanks Ernest!  I will try that out tonight.  Looks delicious. 

Rey

Wow, that looks delicious.  Too bad i don't have the attention span for 26 hours of cooking 

I need to show this to my friends that like cooking, give them some abs, and then show up at their house for dinner!

Nice!

This is like watching Yan and Cook show.  Ernest can cook indeed!  I like your kitchen too!

Rey

Too bad i don't have the attention span for 26 hours of cooking 

Dave, after you put the abs in the pot, you go away for 24hrs doing your own things. The most time I spent was in cleaning the abs.

This is like watching Yan and Cook show.  Ernest can cook indeed!  I like your kitchen too!

Rey

lol... I only know how to cook things I like eating.

btw, Martin Yan is a regular at my brother's restaurant whenever he's in town.

wow !!   I am totally impressed.  I have always wondered how the chinese prepare abalone. Thanks for taking the time to show us. I will be adding this recipe to my repertoire for sure. I hope to dive and fish with you again soon Ernest.

Ernest loves abalone!

This is like watching Yan and Cook show.  Ernest can cook indeed!  I like your kitchen too!

Rey

lol... I only know how to cook things I like eating.

btw, Martin Yan is a regular at my brother's restaurant whenever he's in town.

Okay, you need to post another video of your next favorite dish.    

I might take my daughter and her boyfriend there this weekend.  They love sashimi.
What's the name of his restaurant again?  Hesperian and Winton? Right?

Rey

You can't put a video out like that and not offer a taste  thanks for the vid that's gonna be on my to do list

Maybe I missed it, but did you leave the "foot" on? That leathery piece on the bottom? That looked super good man, thanks for sharing!

"What's the name of his restaurant again?"
Tomodachi Sushi Bistro in Hayward. My brother Benny does not work on Sundays. If you do go, tell him you're my fishing buddy.

"Okay, you need to post another video of your next favorite dish."
Well, I can make a mean ginger crab dish, too

"You can't put a video out like that and not offer a taste"
Sorry to tell you, but I made those abs during the last chinese new year. It's bit late or I would offer you some.

" I hope to dive and fish with you again soon Ernest."
Jack, I do want to dive at least once before the season is over. You can be my coach again

"Ernest loves abalone!"
You know it my friend. And thanks to you, I'm able to enjoy abs this year even when I haven't dove once

"Maybe I missed it, but did you leave the 'foot' on? That leathery piece on the bottom?"
Jeff, no trimming the foot. I just clean off the black stuff using the scotch pad. The foot that you're referring to is more tender than the meat on the inner part of the ab. Please don't trim off the foot. It really disgusts me when I watch videos on youtube how they tell people you have trim the skirt and the leathery foot off. They obvious don't know shit. The skirt and the foot are more tender than the inner muscle.

Many people think that abalone don't have much taste to it. It will taste like whatever ingredient you cook it with. People in asia love abalone not for their taste, but for their texture. Pounding an ab destroys that unique texture. No other mollusk has that texture. I'd rather eat tofu than eating pounded ab meat. If you tenderize an ab with the right cooking method, you'll never insult abalone with a mallet again.

Beautiful! ... Glad to see someone taking pride in cooking the wonderful bounty! Get tired of seing people masacre there abs at the fish cleaning station... Now will you adopt me?