Abalone is often considered a tough meat to cook. In its raw state, abalone is tough and crunchy, and it can take a long time for it to become tender and tasty. This dish was one of the most surprising Adam came across during his journey through Japan, and it combined thousands of years of abalone diving history with a modern rice cooker to produce the most tender abalone.
Preparation
Cooking
Skill level
Ingredients
- 3 medium abalone
- 3 cups short-grain white Japanese rice
- 1.25 litres (5 cups) dashi stock, approximately
- 1 carrot, shaved into small pieces
- 10 g dried radish mix (optional)
- 2 tbsp light soy sauce
- 1 tbsp dark soy sauce
- 2 tbsp sake
- 1 tbsp mirin
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp sugar
Cook's notes
Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.
Instructions
Standing time 5 minutes
Wash the abalone and remove the meat from the shell. Make three cuts through the shell muscle, but do not cut through the foot. At right angles to the cuts in the shell muscle, thinly slice the abalone all the way through into 5 mm strips.
Wash the rice and place in a rice cooker. Add the dashi stock according to the level specified by the manufacturer’s directions. Add the abalone and other remaining ingredients.
Cook according to manufacturer’s directions. Allow the rice cooker to stand for 2 minutes before opening. Fluff the rice with a spatula and stand, uncovered, for a further 2 minutes, before closing the lid again. Keep warm until ready to serve.
