Dried Abalone
As a Chinese saying goes, one mouthful of abalone is one mouthful of gold. Since the time of ancient dynasties, abalone has earned the status of “pinnacle” in the Chinese cuisine. Especially “Dried Abalone”, it has the highest value. Since Dried Abalone is so expensive, do you know how to distinguish and select them?
Abalone can be divided into “Dried Abalone” and “Fresh Abalone”. “Dried Abalone” is made by cooking fresh Abalone and then sun-dried. They are not corroded by preservatives thus retained their full nutritional value. Their price is much higher than that of fresh Abalone.
What is Abalone? Abalone is a mollusk that clings to rocks and grazes on seaweed. The taste of abalone is similar to scallops when tenderized before cooking.
“Dried Abalone” generally takes a long time to cook. It is necessary to simmer repeatedly with rich soup stock, so that the “Dried Abalone” can fully absorb the essence of seasonings and achieve rich aroma and sweetness. High-end “Dried abalone” are large, meaty, and with the center of it remain tender, not hardened.
Authentication
Because Dried Abalone is sold at a high price in the market, some unscrupulous vendors use the worthless “dried stone turtle” to sell as “Dried Abalone”, making huge profits. So, make sure not to get cheated when buying Dried Abalone.
Dried Abalones sold in the market have been shelled and have a slightly boat-like appearance, with one smooth side which is the bottom part of the Abalone. The “Stone Turtle” also has well-developed feet, and the bottom of their feet are flat, thus just a little processing can be made to imitate abalone. However, as long as you inspect them carefully, you will find that the “Stone Turtle” will shrink and bend after drying because of its thin body. And the edges of its feet are rough. The biggest difference between “fake Abalone” and “real Abalone” is that there are 8 shell patterns in the center of the back of Stone Turtle. Although they are peeled off during processing and drying, they always leave obvious marks. Therefore, any “Abalone” with 8 obvious deep marks on the back is undoubtedly a “fake Abalone”.
Identifying the Quality
Observed the color of high-quality Abalone, it is beige or light brown, and the texture is fresh and shiny. The Abalone is oval in shape, the body is complete, the head is shaped evenly, the dryness is thorough, and the surface has a thin salt residue. The quality is even better if the middle part of the Abalone has a red hue when observe under the the light. As for the meat quality, the Abalone is thick, plump and fresh.
The characteristics of inferior Abalone are that the color is grayish, brownish, or purple, dull, with dry gray and white residual flesh, a layer of gray-white substance attached to the surface of the abalone, and even black and green mold spots. The body shape is incomplete. The edges are uneven, the individual size is uneven and appears sort of “horseshoe-shaped”. The meat is thin, dry on the outside and wet on the inside, also neither sunken nor bulging.
In addition, Abalone is also divided into old and new. The freshly Dried Abalone is called “New Water”, and the ones that has been stored for more than one or two years are called “Old Water”. The New Water has a lighter color and does not smell strong.
The quality grade of Dried Abalone is mainly divided by its place of origin, type, and size. In terms of the size, the ultra-premium grade Dried Abalone are 2 to 4 heads combined to weight 500 grams; premium grade are 6 to 8 heads combined to weight 500 grams, and the “1st grade” which is the 3rd highest level, are 10 to 12 heads combined to weight 500 grams. When choosing Dried Abalone, it is better to have uniform size, thick meat, clean surface, hard body, and no peculiar smell.
Selection Method
Top chefs select Dried Abalone according to 4 criteria: size, shape, color, and old or new.
1) Size
No matter what form of Abalone, the bigger the better. There’s a Chinese saying: “It is difficult for buy two Abalones with a thousand-dollar worth of gold”. Generally, 12-15 heads of Abalone per catty are considered top grade, and 2 ~ 4 heads are ultra-premium grade.
2) Body
Of course, the shape is also very important. The quality is considered good without gaps or cracks. The Abalone with a plump body and a wider base is better than the elongated one. Under the light, the quality is better if the middle is reddish. The ones shaped like a horseshoe or with black spots are of inferior quality.
3) Color
The color of Abalone is related to the time of its death. The darker the color, the longer the death time and the worse the freshness. Sometimes there are small star points on the surface, indicating that the air-drying is not thorough, and the quality is slightly worse due to dryness on the outside and wetness on the inside. The top-grade abalone should be completely dry, with a slightly white powdery surface (actually salt frost), and the center should be transparent to light, or even slightly transparent.
4) “New or old”
The older the Dried Abalone, the more valuable it is. When Dried Abalone are left for more than 2 years, the color will be changed from translucent flesh-colored to brown. The taste of old Abalone is stronger and more fragrant and will have a “tender center” effect.
The so-called “tender center” means that when the Abalone is soaked and cooked, the Abalone has a soft chewing candy – like texture when biting on it, and even has a slight “sticking to your teeth” feeling. This is the highest level of the taste of Abalone. Generally, new Abalones do not have this kind of taste profile and mouthfeel. This is the result of aged Abalone.
Steps for soaking Dried Abalone
1) After washing the surface of the Dried Abalone, soak it in a clean and oil-free container, add sufficient pure water (the water should be cover the Dried Abalone), soak for 24 to 48 hours, and change the water 3 to 4 times in the middle;
2) After soaking for 2 days, take it out and wash. Use scissors to cut off the Abalone stalk and intestines. Use a brush or toothbrush to clean the Abalone to remove impurities and fine sand.
3) After cleaning the Abalone, put it in a clean oil-free pot, add enough purified water, cook for 10 minutes on high fire, and cook for another 20 minutes on low fire (at this time if the abalone is still very hard, you can cook it for another quarter of an hour ), turn off the heat and simmer until it cools naturally and let it stretch naturally.
4) Remove the boiled Abalone and put it in a clean box, add purified water, cover the lid, and put it in the fresh-keeping layer of the refrigerator. Continue to soak for about 2 to 3 days, during which time you can change the water 2-3 times.
5) After completing the above steps, check whether the abalone still has a hard core. If the abalone has not been soaked, repeat step 4 or extend the soaking time of step 4 until the soaking is completed.
Suggestions
1) All containers used for soaking hair should be clean, oil-free, salt-free, alkali-free, and odorless. Iron containers cannot be used. The color of Abalone will turn black when it encounters ironware.
2) Be gentle when cleaning the Abalone with a brush, so as not to damage the Abalone meat.
3)Use filtered or distilled water during the foaming process to make the Abalone foam better.
4) The whole process of soaking is low temperature; it is recommended to put it in the fresh-keeping layer of the refrigerator at 0-5 ℃ to prevent deterioration.
5) The individual differences of Abalone are different. Whether the Abalone has a hard core after soaking, you need to check each by hand.
6) For Abalone from different origins, the soaking time should be increased or decreased according to actual conditions.
5) The better the quality of Dried Abalone, the shorter the soaking time. The lower quality Dried Abalone requires patience to heat them. During cooking, insert a toothpick into the Abalone until it is half deep, lift it gently, and the abalone slowly falls. It means that the Abalone is just right. It will be too hard if it does not fall, and it will be too crisp if it cannot be lifted.
Nutrition Facts
Per 100 grams
| Calories | 209 | kcal |
| Protein | 34.05 | g |
| Total lipid (fat) | 1.51 | g |
| Carbohydrate, by difference | 11.97 | g |
| Fiber, total dietary | 0 | g |
| Sugars, total including NLEA | 0 | g |