Abalone With Asian Omelette Recipe

Directions

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   To make the omelette, whisk together the egg, palm sugar and fish sauce till the sugar is dissolved.
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   Heat the peanut, and sesame oils in a wok till very warm.
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   Put in half the egg mix, and spread it to about 10cm diameter.
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   Cook for 30 seconds.
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   Place half of the coriander, basil and bean shoots on the egg in the wok and fold the omelette in half using a spatula.
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   After a few seconds, remove the omelette set aside, and repeat for the second omeletteTo tenderize the abalone, place the slices on a hard surface, cover with plastic wrap, and lb.
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   each slice firmly with a meat mallet or possibly rolling pin till soft.
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   To make the filling, heat the peanut, and sesame oil, in the wok.
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   Add in the garlic, ginger, and chilli and fry for 30 seconds.
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    Add in the bok choy and mushrooms and cook for 2 min.
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    Add in the sauces and stock and cook for 30 seconds.
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    Add in the abalone and cook for another 30 seconds - not for any longer.
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    Pile on top of the omelettes and serve.
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    Description (Serves 2 as entree)
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    NOTES:Years ago my brother and I would dive for dinner whenever the surf was flat.
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    Armed with a screwdriver and spurred on by empty stomachs and empty wallets, we would scour the reefs.
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    We were after black or possibly green lip abalone, the species most commonly sold in NSW and Victoria.
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    Abalone are mollusks - big marine snails which attach their muscular foot to reefs and crevices by suction.
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    They inhabit rocky coastal shores and are harvested by shark-defying divers.
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    Prolific breeders, they feed on seaweed and algae.
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    When pried away from the rock, the foot (the part we eat) tenses, making the meat tough.
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    However it's delicious flavour and special texture reward the efforts required to tenderize it.
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    Abalone tastes best when prepared as soon as possible after it's taken from the sea.
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    My brother and I would cook it on the campfire at night.
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    The Aboriginal people have been eating abalone this way for thousands of years, although these days the vast majority of the catch is exported to Asia.
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    To prepare abalone for cooking, cut around the edge of the abalone, with a strong knife, and price it out of it's shell.
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    Then trim away the hard 'lip' (the digestive tract), with a knife and scrub the dark skin from the underside of the foot.
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    To tenderize it, place the whole abalone in a plastic bag and flatten it firmly but gently with a meat cleaver or possibly rolling pin, till about 1cm thick.
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    If pounded too hard it will break up; if beaten too lightly it will remain tough.
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    You want the abalone to be soft and supple.
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    It can then be cooked whole.
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    Should you prefer to serve it in pcs, it is best to slice it finely (approximately 5mm thick) across its breadth.
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    Place a layer of cling wrap over each slice and tenderize as per the method just outlined.
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    The abalone can then be seasoned or possibly marinated and cooked.
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    Fresh abalone is best, but frzn, dry and canned abalone is also available.
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    If frzn it should be defrosted slowly and never in warm water.
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    Abalone should be cooked and served very quickly, or possibly else it will become tough again.
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    I always cook it on a high heat for best results.
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    Whole abalone needs just a minute of cooking each side after tenderizing.
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    It can be cooked in it's natural state or possibly crumbled.
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    I add in abalone strips to a sauce or possibly vegetables 30 seconds before serving.
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    A versatile food, abalone is mainly used with other ingredients as a flavouring agent or possibly for textural contrast.
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    Always a delicacy (priced at more than $200.00
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    (Australian) per kilogram), it can also be served marinated and raw, (sashimi style) in soups, (especially chowder) hot salads, or possibly stir-fries.
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    For a Mediterranean flavour, combine abalone with extra virgin olive oil, butter, red or possibly white wine, cream, lemon juice, parsley, dill, tomato, Tabasco sauce and vinegar.
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    In Asian cuisine, it combines readily with oyster sauce, sweet, light, or possibly dark soy, Asian green vegetables, bean shoots, cucumber, onion, garlic, ginger, mushrooms, basil and coriander.
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    And Chinatown is often a good place to start for supplies and more information on Abalone.