Braised Abalone And Mushroom With Seasonal Vegetable Recipe

1. If using dried shiitake mushrooms, place them in a bowl and cover with 250 ml hot water. Soak until softened, about 30–45 minutes. Reserve soaking liquid, strain through a fine sieve and set aside. If using fresh shiitake, trim stems and slice thickly.

2. If using fresh abalone, clean thoroughly: remove viscera, trim edges, tenderize lightly with the back of a knife, rinse. If using canned abalone, drain and rinse briefly. Pat abalone pieces dry and score the flesh lightly in a crosshatch pattern to help absorb sauce.

3. Clean mushrooms: slice oyster or trumpet mushrooms into 1–2 cm pieces. Thinly slice ginger, crush garlic, separate scallion whites and greens. Trim seasonal vegetables and wash thoroughly.

4. Blanch

Bring a medium pot of water to a rolling boil. Add 1 tbs salt (or a pinch) to the water. Blanch seasonal vegetables (e.g., baby bok choy or broccolini) for 30–60 seconds until bright and just tender. Immediately transfer to an ice bath to stop cooking. Drain and set on a platter, reserve for plating.

5. Heat a large sauté pan or shallow wok over medium-high heat. Add 1 tbs neutral oil. When shimmering, add abalone pieces in a single layer—do not overcrowd. Sear 30–45 seconds per side until lightly golden. Remove and set aside.

6. Add the remaining 1 tbs oil to the pan. Add sliced oyster/king trumpet mushrooms and the rehydrated shiitake (squeeze out excess liquid first, reserve liquid for the sauce). Stir-fry 2–3 minutes until edges begin to brown and moisture reduces. Remove mushrooms and set aside with abalone.

7. Keep the pan over medium heat. Add a touch more oil if the pan is dry. Add sliced ginger, crushed garlic and the white parts of scallions. Sauté 30–45 seconds until aromatic but not browned.

8. Deglaze with Shaoxing wine, scraping any browned bits from the pan. Immediately add chicken or vegetable stock (400 ml) plus reserved mushroom soaking liquid (up to 50–75 ml) if using dried shiitake for extra umami.

9. Stir in light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, oyster sauce, sugar, sesame oil, white pepper and 0.5 tsp of salt. Bring the liquid to a gentle simmer.

10. Return seared abalone and sautéed mushrooms to the pan, arranging them in a single layer. Reduce heat to low, cover partially, and braise gently for 6–8 minutes (for canned abalone) or 10–12 minutes (for fresh abalone) until abalone are tender and have absorbed the sauce flavors. Spoon the sauce over the pieces once or twice during braising.

11. While the abalone finishes braising, mix cornstarch with 2 tbs cold water to make a slurry, stirring until smooth.

12. Uncover the pan and bring sauce to a gentle simmer. Gradually whisk in the cornstarch slurry until the sauce thickens to a glossy, coating consistency—about 1–2 minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning with remaining salt or a pinch more sugar if needed.

13. Stir in sesame oil and scatter the thinly sliced scallion greens. Remove from heat.

14. Arrange the blanched seasonal vegetables on a warmed serving platter. Spoon a little of the braising sauce over the vegetables to glaze them lightly.

15. Place abalone and mushrooms over or beside the vegetables. Spoon additional sauce over the abalone for gloss and flavor.

16. Garnish with toasted sesame seeds (optional) and an extra drizzle of sesame oil if desired. Serve immediately with steamed rice.