Cantonese Braised Abalone (Hong Shao Bao Yu / 红烧鲍鱼)

Ingredients

• 4 dried abalone, 10-head grade or finer; Yoshihama Japanese preferred
• For the braising stock
• 1 kg whole chicken, jointed
• 500 g pork belly or pork bones
• 150 g Jinhua ham or similar dry-cured ham, rinsed
• 3 L cold water
• For the braise
• 60 ml light soy sauce
• 30 ml dark soy sauce, for colour
• 30 ml oyster sauce, Lee Kum Kee Panda grade acceptable for home cooking
• 15 ml Shaoxing rice wine
• For the sauce
• 10 g cornstarch, slaked in 20 ml cold water

Method

1. 1
   Place dried abalone in a deep container and cover generously with cold water. Refrigerate for 5–7 days, changing the water daily. The abalone is sufficiently rehydrated when it has visibly swelled, feels pliable under finger pressure, and no longer carries a sharp briny odour.
2. 2
   Transfer the soaked abalone to a pot of cold water. Bring slowly to a bare simmer and blanch for 10 minutes. Discard the water. Return the abalone to the pot, cover again with fresh cold water, and simmer gently at 80–90 °C for 4–6 hours, topping up water as needed. The abalone is ready when a skewer meets only slight resistance at the thickest point; it must not yet yield fully — that is reserved for the braise.
3. 3
   While the abalone pre-cooks, prepare the braising stock. Blanch the chicken pieces and pork in boiling water for 3 minutes; drain and rinse. Combine with the ham and 3 L cold water in a stockpot. Bring to a boil, skim thoroughly, then reduce to a steady simmer for 2–3 hours. Strain; the stock should be pale amber, rich, and fragrant with a pronounced body on the palate.
4. 4
   Nest the pre-cooked abalone in a heavy braising vessel — a clay pot or cast-iron casserole. Pour over sufficient strained stock to submerge the abalone entirely. Add the light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, oyster sauce, and Shaoxing wine. Bring to the gentlest possible simmer, cover tightly, and braise for a minimum of 4 hours. This is where the dish lives or dies: the heat must remain low enough that the liquid barely trembles — a rolling boil will tighten the muscle irreversibly — yet sustained long enough for the abalone to absorb the stock fully and yield at the centre without collapsing to mush. Test every 30 minutes after the 3-hour mark by pressing the thickest part: it should give under moderate pressure and spring back slowly.
5. 5
   Remove the abalone and keep warm. Pour the braising liquid into a wide saucepan and reduce over high heat until noticeably thickened and darkened. Stir in the slaked cornstarch in a thin stream, stirring constantly. The sauce is ready when it coats the back of a spoon in a thick, glossy, even film and holds its shape briefly when a line is drawn through it.
6. 6
   Slice each abalone across the muscle if serving banquet-style, or present whole. Spoon the reduced sauce over generously so that each piece is fully lacquered. Serve immediately while the sauce holds its gloss.