Bringing Hong Kong Flavors to Your Kitchen: A Guide to Cooking Abalone Hong Kong Style

Abalone is a popular seafood dish all over the world, but particularly in Hong Kong, where it’s often served in banquets and given as a gift for Chinese New Year.

As a culinary paradise for foodies in Asia, Hong Kong is renowned for its unique Cantonese dishes, with an array of sweet, sour, spicy and salty flavours. Abalone is a perfect complement for these, with its firm but succulent texture and buttery flavour. You’ll often find it matched with a rich sauce which is savoury but slightly sweet at the same time.  

Today we’ll teach you how to cook abalone Hong Kong style with our Asian abalone recipes. We’ll help you to recreate authentic Hong Kong flavours at home. If you’re looking to expand your culinary skills and wow your guests, or you’re a fan of Hong Kong cuisine in general, these recipes will knock your socks off.

How to Cook Abalone: Exploring Hong Kong Recipes

Hong Kong cuisine is all about bold flavours and fresh ingredients – so it’s easy to see why Cantonese cooks can’t look past abalone as a gourmet delicacy when putting together their recipes. 

Abalone is known for its exclusivity, and features in both traditional and modern Chinese dishes. Asian abalone dishes such as braised abalone and Hong Kong abalone noodle are very popular in Chinese kitchens – often featuring other ingredients such as oyster sauce, ginger, shiitake mushrooms and seasonal vegetables. 

Hong Kong is renowned for blending traditional and modern influences, and this can be seen in its food culture – with a fusion of Chinese and Western (or British) influences. Dishes are made to be shared, bringing friends and family together. Hong Kong is also known for its yum cha and street food culture, with dishes that can be enjoyed quickly and easily. 

Here we have a couple of Asian abalone recipes for braised abalone and Hong Kong abalone noodles. We’ll show you how to make these with our abalone. 

Braised Pork Belly with Abalone

You’ll find this dish in many high-end Chinese restaurants, but now you can make it yourself at home. 

Ingredients:

• 1 can of Ocean Road Premium Abalone in Brine 130g
• 600g pork belly, cut into 2-3cm cube
• 5 thin slices of ginger
• 2 star-anise
• 2 bay leaves
• 20g rock sugar
• 2 tbsp light soy sauce
• 1 tbsp dark soy sauce

Instructions:

1. Blanch the pork in boiling water for 2-3 minutes, then rinse the pork under cold running water.
2. Put the pork into a clean pot. Add Shaoxing rice wine, hot water (to a level barely covering the pork), light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, ginger, star anise, and bay leaves. Bring to boil.
3. Cover with a lid and simmer for 1-1.5 hours until the meat is fork-tender.
4. Add sugar, and then turn up the heat to reduce the broth until thickened.
5. Add the drained abalone and stir through with low heat. Cook for a further 2 minutes.
6. Serve with rice and Asian vegetables.

Hong Kong Abalone Noodle

Hong Kong noodles are always popular – but paired with abalone? Even better!

Ingredients:

• 8 pieces of live abalone (around 70-90g per piece)
• 8 oz dry Chinese noodles
• 1 tbsp vegetable oil
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 scallions, sliced
• 1 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tbsp oyster sauce
• 1 tbsp Shaoxing wine
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1 cup chicken broth
• Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:

1. Shuck the abalone and clean it by removing the guts, membrane, and any debris from the shell.
2. Rinse the abalone meat under cold running water and pat dry with a paper towel. Cut into thin slices.
3. Cook the Chinese noodles according to package instructions. Drain and rinse under cold water, then set aside.
4. Heat the vegetable oil in a wok or large skillet over medium heat. Add the minced garlic and sliced scallions and stir-fry for 30 seconds until fragrant.
5. Add the sliced abalone to the wok and stir-fry for 1-2 minutes until lightly browned.
6. In a small bowl, mix the soy sauce, oyster sauce, Shaoxing wine, sugar, and chicken broth. Pour the mixture into the wok and bring to a simmer.
7. Add the cooked Chinese noodles to the wok and toss to coat with the sauce. Cook for another 1-2 minutes until the noodles are heated through and the sauce has thickened slightly. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
8. Serve the abalone noodles hot, garnished with additional sliced scallions if desired.

Other Ways to Cook Abalone Hong Kong Style

There are a few other popular ways to prepare abalone Hong Kong style:

1. Congee: This is a simple and comforting dish that is popular for breakfast or as a late-night snack. To make the congee, cook rice in a pot with chicken broth or water until it becomes a porridge-like consistency. Add sliced abalone to the pot and continue to cook until heated through. Season with salt, white pepper, and chopped scallions.
2. Fried: This method involves coating sliced abalone in a mixture of egg, cornstarch, and breadcrumbs before frying until crispy. To be served with sweet chili sauce, soy sauce, or dipping sauce of your choice.
3. Soup: This is a light, refreshing soup that’s perfect for spring and summer. Simply simmer sliced abalone in a pot with chicken broth, ginger, and green onions for 10-15 minutes until the abalone is tender. Season with salt and garnish with herbs.

Tips: If you are using Ocean Road canned abalone, replace the chicken broth with the brine from the can to elevate the taste. 

With so many ways to cook abalone Hong Kong-style, you’ll be enjoying your new favourite dish in no time! We also recommend that you try our Premium Abalone in Brine and Dried Abalone.

For further tips and recommendations, contact us at Ocean Road Abalone today.