Seared abalone with noodles and XO sauce by Analiese Gregory

300–400g live abalone (see Notes)
400g fresh egg noodles
120g butter
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 baby bok choy
80g XO sauce (see Notes)
60g spring onions, finely chopped
1 lemon, juiced
Crispy fried shallots, to garnish

1. Preheat a steamer, either stovetop or electric. Place the abalone shell-side down and steam for 50 minutes, or until it can be pierced easily with a skewer. Remove the abalone, take it out of the shell and clean off the guts. Thinly slice it with a sharp knife.

2.Bring a saucepan of salted water to the boil and blanch the noodles for 30 seconds, then drain, reserving some of the water if you like a slightly wetter sauce.

3. In a large sauté pan, melt half the butter. Add the garlic and fry it out gently on a low heat, making sure it doesn’t colour, for about 3 minutes. Add the sliced abalone, fry it in the butter for 1–2 minutes, then add the bok choy, XO sauce and the rest of the butter. Stir as the bok choy wilts and the sauce emulsifies, 1–2 minutes. Add the spring onions and still-warm noodles and toss everything together.

4. Season with lemon juice and test to see if it requires salt. Add a little of the noodle-blanching water to thin out the sauce, if desired. Top with crispy fried shallots for texture.

Cook's notes:

Oven temperatures are conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.

You can reserve and dehydrate the abalone liver and stomach, then grind them to a powder to make an ‘abalone salt’ for seasoning fish and vegetables. You can also use pre-purchased XO sauce or make your own with Analiese's recipe.