Jeonbok-jjim (Braised Abalone)

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Stiff kitchen brush
• •Sturdy spoon or small abalone knife
• •Small sharp knife for scoring
• •Wide shallow pan with a tight lid
• •Instant-read thermometer, optional

Instructions

1. 1

   Scrub the shells

   Keep the abalone cold while you work. Sprinkle the coarse salt over the dark foot and shell, then scrub with a stiff brush until the black film loosens and the ridges of the shell are free of grit. Rinse quickly under cold running water. Do not soak them in fresh water; abalone is sea life, and a long soak weakens its clean taste.

   Buy live abalone that clamp firmly and smell clean, like the sea. If one is limp, cracked, or smells sharp, send it away without regret.
2. 2

   Lift and trim

   Slide a sturdy spoon between the shell and the foot, keeping the spoon close to the shell so you do not tear the meat. Lift the abalone out. Pull away the green-brown viscera and save the clean livers for jeonbok-juk (abalone porridge) only if you will cook them the same day. Cut off the hard mouth at the narrow end and rinse the meat briefly. If you will serve in the shells, scrub the shells again and boil them for 2 minutes, then drain.

3. 3

   Score the abalone

   Lay each abalone flat, foot side up. With a small sharp knife, cut shallow diagonal lines 5mm apart and about 3mm deep, then turn the abalone and cut the same way again to make diamonds. Do not cut through. The scoring relaxes the foot and gives the sauce a place to sit; without it, the glaze slides off and the center stays tight.

4. 4

   Start gently

   Lay the radish slices in a wide shallow pan. Add the broth or water, cheongju, and ginger, then bring it to a quiet simmer over medium-low heat. Set the scored abalone on the radish, scored side up. Cover and cook 4 minutes for medium abalone. The radish lifts the meat away from direct heat and sweetens the liquid underneath.

   This is the first place people ruin the dish. A hard boil tightens abalone fast. Keep the liquid moving quietly, not jumping.
5. 5

   Reduce the glaze

   Lift the abalone to a plate. Leave the radish and cooking liquid in the pan. Add the soy sauce, sugar, honey or maesil-cheong, garlic, and jujubes. Simmer uncovered 5 to 6 minutes, spooning the liquid over the radish, until the sauce reduces to about 1/3 cup and looks glossy. Taste it. It should be savory first, lightly sweet second.

6. 6

   Braise and baste

   Return the abalone to the pan, scored side up. Add the ginkgo nuts if using. Spoon the glaze over the score marks for 3 to 4 minutes, keeping the heat low enough that the sauce thickens without scorching. The abalone is ready when the edges curl slightly and a skewer meets firm but gentle resistance. If you use a thermometer, the center should reach 63 C or 145 F.

   For larger abalone, 80 to 90g each, add 1 to 2 minutes at the same low heat. Do not chase tenderness by turning the heat up. That only makes it rubbery.
7. 7

   Rest and serve

   Turn off the heat and stir the sesame oil into the sauce. Let the abalone rest 3 minutes in the pan so the glaze settles into the cuts. Arrange the radish on a platter or tuck each abalone back into a cleaned shell. Spoon the sauce over the top and finish with pine nuts, jujube slivers, and ginkgo nuts. Serve with rice, a clear soup, and pale namul so the abalone can still taste like itself.

Chef Tips

• •Medium farmed abalone are better for this recipe than the largest ones in the case. The very large ones look impressive, then punish you with chew unless you change the method to a longer, slower braise.
• •Frozen whole abalone can work if it was frozen cleanly and thawed overnight in the refrigerator. Pat it very dry before scoring. Canned abalone is already cooked and belongs in a different dish.
• •The safe shortcuts are the vessel and the garnish: use a wide skillet with a tight lid instead of a steamer, skip the ginkgo nuts, or use water instead of broth. Do not skip scrubbing, trimming the mouth, scoring, or low heat. Those are the dish.
• •Serve this with restrained side dishes: white rice, clear muguk (radish soup), spinach namul, and water kimchi. A loud red banchan beside it makes the abalone work too hard.

Advance Preparation

• •The sauce ingredients can be measured and mixed up to 1 day ahead, except for the sesame oil and pine nuts, which should wait until finishing.
• •Abalone can be scrubbed and trimmed up to 2 hours ahead. Keep it covered in the refrigerator on a tray, not soaking in water.
• •Do not fully cook jeonbok-jjim ahead for a celebration table. Reheating tightens the meat. Leftovers should be refrigerated within 2 hours and eaten within 1 day, sliced thin into porridge or rice.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 190g)