Cocktail abalone with black garlic and shiitake

The secret ingredient to these skewers? Two types of garlic: fresh garlic for a punchy aromatic flavour, and black garlic for a sweet, sticky layer of umami flavour, blended through a browned butter sauce. When paired with the smoky aroma of grilled abalone and shiitake, this will be one skewer you'll want to make time and time again.

• serves

  4

• prep

  5 minutes

• cook

  10 minutes

• difficulty

  Mid

Series. Cooking. Rated PG.

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The Cook Up with Adam Liaw

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Ingredients

• 4 shiitake mushrooms
• Cooking oil, to drizzle
• 140 g butter, divided
• Salt
• 100 ml chicken stock
• 25 g black garlic
• 2 garlic cloves, microplaned
• A few drops of lemon juice
• Metal skewers
• 4 cocktail abalone, pre-sliced in the shell, thawed (see Note)

Instructions

1. Destem the mushrooms and cut each one into 3-4 slices (depending on the cap size). Heat a drizzle of oil in a medium frying pan. Once hot, add the mushrooms and pan-fry until softened, then add 20 g butter to the pan with a pinch of salt and pepper. Remove from the heat and set aside.
2. Melt remaining 120 g butter in a small saucepan and cook to a beurre noisette (brown butter), then remove from the heat.
3. Heat the chicken stock in a second small saucepan with the black garlic, fresh garlic, a few drops lemon juice and a pinch of salt. Blitz with a stick mixer to combine, then while blitzing, gradually blitz in the browned butter until smooth.
4. Onto metal skewers, thread the sliced shiitake and abalone. Heat a chargrill pan over medium-high heat and grill the skewers, turning occasionally, until the abalone is cooked through. Remove from the heat.
5. To serve, place the metal skewers atop the abalone shells and spoon 2 tsp of the prepared sauce over each and serve.

Note

You can find cocktail abalone frozen in packs of four at high-quality fishmongers.

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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.