Braised Abalone in Original Shell (Ba Yuan Ke Bao Yu)
A classic Shandong dish, abalone braised and returned to its shell, elegant presentation, tender meat, rich savory sauce, perfect for banquets.
Ingredients
13 items- Fresh abalone 4 (about 400g)
- Chicken broth 400 ml
- Green onion sections 3 pieces
- Ginger slices 4 slices
- Cooking wine 1 tbsp
- Light soy sauce 1 tbsp
- Oyster sauce 1 tbsp
- Sugar 1/2 tsp
- Water starch 2 tbsp
- Chicken fat 1 tbsp
- Salt 1/2 tsp
- White pepper 1/4 tsp
- Baby bok choy 4 heads
Nutrition
Steps （8 steps）
Scrub abalone and shells thoroughly. Remove meat with a knife, discard entrails and mouth. Blanch shells in boiling water for 2 minutes, drain. (10 minutes)
Score the top of each abalone meat in a crosshatch pattern (3mm apart, 2/3 deep). Place in bowl with wine and ginger slices; marinate for 10 minutes.
In a pot, combine chicken broth, scallion, ginger, soy sauce, oyster sauce, sugar, white pepper. Bring to boil then simmer 5 minutes. Strain and set aside.
Place marinated abalone in a heatproof dish, cover with strained broth. Steam over high heat for 8 minutes until just cooked (knife pierces easily). Reserve the steaming liquid.
Blanch bok choy in boiling salted water with a drop of oil for 40 seconds, until bright green. Transfer to ice water to keep color.
Carefully place each abalone back into its shell. Arrange on a plate with a piece of bok choy beside each.
Pour reserved steaming liquid and remaining broth into a pan. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Taste and add salt if needed. Stir in water starch, stirring quickly until thickened and glossy. Add chicken fat and stir.
Spoon the sauce evenly over each abalone and bok choy. Serve immediately while hot.
Tips
Steaming time is critical: 8 minutes for medium abalone, adjust based on size. The crosshatch scoring should be even to allow flavor penetration but not break the meat. The sauce should be a 'glass glaze'—shiny and just thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Blanching bok choy with oil preserves green color.
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