Several years ago, I covered a cooking class for Edible Monterey Bay that Chef Justin Cogley led at Aubergine called 'Monterey Bay Abalone.' Click to read my piece - Abalone: Local, Delectable, and Not As Daunting as I Previously Imagined.
Though cooking abalone wasn't as daunting as I thought it would be, I still have never sought out abalone to make at home. But this week, our CSF (community supported fishery) share was abalone. So, I knew I had to come up with something good. The Enthusiastic Kitchen Elf and I perused the recipes on the Real Good Fish website and decided to give their Abalone Meunière recipe a try...slightly adapted.
Meunière is French for "miller's wife" and refers to both a method of preparation and a sauce; it's primarily used for fish. To cook something à la meunière means to cook it by first dredging it in flour. Due to Jake's current gluten-free adventure, our flour was gluten-free.
Ingredients serves 4
- 6 to 8 small abalone (ours were vacuum-packed, pre-shucked and pre-tenderized)
- 1 C gluten-free flour
- 1/2 t freshly ground pepper
- 6 T butter
- splash of olive oil
- zest from 2 organic Meyer lemons
- juice from 2 organic Meyer lemons
Procedure
In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, pepper, and lemon zest. Coat each abalone in flour, shaking off excess.
Melt butter in a splash of olive oil in a large, flat-bottom pan over medium-high heat.
When the butter begins to foam, place the abalone in the pan. Gently agitate the pan, allowing the butter to turn brown and give off a nutty aroma.
After 2 minutes, turn the abalone and cook for another 2 minutes. Remove from heat. Add lemon juice to the pan and cook until slightly thickened.
After 2 minutes, turn the abalone and cook for another 2 minutes. Remove from heat. Add lemon juice to the pan and cook until slightly thickened.
To serve, place abalone on your plate and spoon the lemon sauce over the top. We served ours with Capricho de Cabra scalloped potatoes and Beurre Noisette-Braised Radishes over salad greens. Delish.
Thanks, Real Good Fish, for getting me back on the abalone train. And thanks, especially, for doing all the hard work in shucking it and tenderizing it. You made it easy and we loved it.
I so wish I lived in an area that could have a CSF. We are surrounded by water here in Michigan and I am, of course, able to get fresh fish all summer long but nothing like the variety available to those of you on the ocean.
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