Abalone with black bean sauce
Ingredients
Abalone
12 pc medium size choice abalone (or 24 large fresh shucked oysters in shell)
1 recipe Thai sticky rice
2 tablespoons minced ginger
4 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons chili oil
12 ounces black bean sauce, heated (recipe below)
12 scallions, bottoms cut off and discarded
Crispy shallots (recipe below)
Crispy Shallots
4 large shallots, sliced thin
2 quarts peanut oil
kosher salt
fresh cracked black pepper
Black Bean Sauce
1/2 rack of baby back ribs
3 whole dried red chilies
1 cup minced scallions
1 1/4 cups finely sliced leeks
1 1/2 cups Chinese salted black beans (not the seasoned variety)
3/4 cup hoisin
3/4 cup oyster sauce
1/2 cup whole smashed and peeled garlic cloves
3/4 cup soy sauce
1 cup dark brown sugar
1/2 cup Golden Syrup
3 cups hot water
3 cups chicken stock
soy sauce to taste
brown sugar to taste
Instructions
SERVINGS: 6
For the Abalone
Rinse and dry the abalone.
Melt the butter and add the ginger. Cook over very low heat for 10 minutes to infuse the butter with the ginger. Be careful not to burn the butter.
Brush the abalone with the ginger butter.
Brush the scallions on both sides with peanut oil and season lightly with salt and pepper.
On a very hot grill, fan out the scallions so they just start to take on color and wilt. Cook on both sides. A little char is ok. Reserve and keep warm.
Brush the grill surface with peanut oil and place the abalone, flesh side down, on the grill. Cook 3 minutes. Baste with the ginger butter several times throughout the cooking process. Turn over onto the shell and cook 2 more minute. The abalone should be warm when you put your finger between the meat and shell. Let the abalone rest for a couple minutes. Then use your fingers to pop the meat out of the shell, being careful not to smush the stomach and innards between the meat and shell.
To Plate
Make a ring of 2 scallions on each plate.
Place one abalone in the shell on the scallions and lean the meat from another abalone (without the shell) against the first.
Ladle 2 ounces of the black bean sauce over the top.
Sprinkle with crispy shallots and drizzle with chilli oil.
Serve with sticky rice to mop up the sauce.
(sourced)