The price range for canned abalone can differ dramatically. As low as less than $10 USD or $100 or more can be possible. Well, we're not trying to bankrupt ourselves, and this recipe requires some braising time with chicken.
So there is no need to get big and chunky supreme abalones. Just use the cheaper one, ideally with each individual abalone size no bigger than a small chicken egg. That way you can braise the abalone as a whole without making a dent in the wallet.
Braised chicken with abalone 鮑魚悶雞 -
Ingredients?
- 1 canned abalone (425 grams total but 200 grams solid)
- 700 grams bone-in skin-on dark chicken meat (about 10 drumettes)
- 1 stalk scallion
- 4 garlic cloves
- 3 slices 2mm-thick ginger
- 1 teaspoon crystal sugar
- 1 tablespoons preferred cooking oil
Marinade:
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons dark soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon oyster sauce
- 1 tablespoon aged Shaoxing wine
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
How?
Marinate the small chicken drumsticks, or drumettes with all the ingredients listed under the "marinade" section. Massage the sauce into the meat then let the chicken marinate for 30 minutes.
Peel the garlic cloves. Scrape-off the ginger skin then slice to 2mm thick pieces. Destem the scallion then section the white part, diagonal cut the green part for garnish in the end.
Use a clay pot, drizzle 2 tablespoons of preferred cooking oil and switch to medium heat. I used olive oil, which is my basic oil for cooking.
Once the temperate rises, add in garlic, white section of the scallion, and ginger slices. Sear till aromatic and the garlics turn slightly browned.
Add in the chicken but not the marinade juice. Sear till slightly browned. Flip once the bottom part has been colored and continue to sear other sides.
Then it's time to pour in all the remaining marinade. Also 1/3 cup of the canned abalone juice, it'll highly enhance the flavor of the dish. Bring the whole thing to a boil then lower the heat to keep it as a light bubbling stage.
Add 1 teaspoon of crystal sugar and cook till the sugar has been fully dissolved into the sauce. Continue to cook 10 minutes.
Time to add the abalones, but no more juice from the can. Continue to cook for 10 more minutes or till reduced a bit.
Top with scallion greens and serve the braised chicken with abalone in the same clay pot used in cooking. It'll hold up the residual heat quite well, so you get to enjoy a hot or very warm dish all the way.
Don't discard the remaining abalone juice. You can utilize that in any other soupy Asian dishes, especially the kind that needs a umami boost.
If you really don't have any use of canned abalone juice at the moment, go ahead and freeze them into ice cubes or in a seal-tight container. Some people do that with homemade stock too. There will always be a time calling for a flavor-boost.
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