📝 About This Recipe
A cornerstone of high-end Kaiseki cuisine, this dish transforms the notoriously firm abalone into a buttery, melt-in-your-mouth delicacy through a patient, low-temperature steam. The natural oceanic sweetness of the Awabi is enhanced by the aromatic qualities of premium Junmai sake and mineral-rich Kombu. Finished with a rich, velvety sauce made from the abalone's own liver, this dish represents the pinnacle of Japanese 'Umi no Sachi' (bounty of the sea).
🥗 Ingredients
Main Ingredients
- 4 large pieces Live Ezo Abalone (Awabi) (approximately 250-300g each, extremely fresh)
- 1/2 cup Coarse Sea Salt (for cleaning and scrubbing the flesh)
- 2 large sheets Dried Kombu (Kelp) (wiped with a damp cloth)
- 500 ml Premium Junmai Sake (high quality for steaming)
- 200 ml Water (filtered)
For the Liver Sauce (Kimo-zu)
- 4 pieces Abalone Livers (Kimo) (reserved from the steaming process)
- 1 tablespoon Usukuchi (Light) Soy Sauce (for seasoning)
- 1 tablespoon Mirin (hon-mirin preferred)
- 15 grams Unsalted Butter (cold, cubed for emulsification)
- 2 tablespoons Steaming Liquid (reserved from the steamer tray)
For Garnish and Service
- 1 root Wasabi (freshly grated on a sharkskin grater)
- 4 sprigs Hanaho (Shiso Flowers) (for a floral aroma)
- 1 small bunch Radish Sprouts (Kaiware) (trimmed)
- 2 pieces Sudachi (halved, for a bright citrus finish)
👨🍳 Instructions
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1
Begin by cleaning the live abalone. Generously sprinkle coarse sea salt over the dark edges of the abalone foot and use a stiff brush to scrub away the black film until the flesh appears light and ivory-colored.
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2
Rinse the abalone thoroughly under cold running water to remove all traces of salt and grit. Do not remove the meat from the shell yet; we will steam them in the shell to retain juices.
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3
Prepare a large steaming tray or a deep heat-proof ceramic dish. Lay the sheets of kombu at the bottom to create a flavorful bed for the seafood.
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4
Place the cleaned abalone on top of the kombu, shell-side down. Pour the Junmai sake and 200ml of water over the abalone.
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5
Cover the dish tightly with heavy-duty aluminum foil, ensuring no steam can escape. This creates a pressurized environment that helps tenderize the connective tissue.
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6
Place the dish in a preheated steamer. Steam over low-medium heat for exactly 3 hours. Check the water level in the bottom of the steamer every 45 minutes, replenishing with boiling water as needed.
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7
After 3 hours, carefully remove the dish and let it rest, covered, for 15 minutes. This allows the fibers to relax and reabsorb the sake-infused juices.
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8
Uncover and gently pry the meat from the shells using a spoon. Locate the dark green/brown liver (kimo) attached to the back and carefully detach it, setting the livers aside for the sauce.
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9
Trim away the tough 'mouth' or beak part of the abalone and discard. Reserve the concentrated steaming liquid from the tray.
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10
To make the sauce: Pass the reserved livers through a fine-mesh sieve into a small saucepan. Add the soy sauce, mirin, and 2 tablespoons of the steaming liquid.
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11
Warm the liver mixture over low heat, whisking constantly. Once steaming, whisk in the cold butter cubes one by one until the sauce is glossy and emulsified. Do not boil or the sauce will break.
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12
Slice the warm abalone flesh into 1/2-inch thick diagonal pieces. The texture should feel like soft sashimi but with a slight, pleasant resistance.
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13
Arrange the slices back into the cleaned shells or on a warm plate. Spoon a generous amount of the warm liver sauce over the slices.
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14
Garnish with a small mound of freshly grated wasabi, a few hanaho flowers, and a squeeze of sudachi juice. Serve immediately while the temperature is 'hitohada' (skin temperature) or slightly warmer.
💡 Chef's Tips
Use the highest quality sake you can afford; the flavor of the sake concentrates and becomes the soul of the dish. Never rush the steaming process; anything less than 2.5 hours will result in a rubbery texture. If the liver sauce feels too thick, thin it with a teaspoon of the reserved steaming liquid at a time. Ensure the abalone are live when you start; dead abalone develop a strong fishy odor that steaming will only amplify. When cleaning, don't be afraid to scrub hard—removing the black slime is essential for a clean, professional appearance.
🍽️ Serving Suggestions
Pair with a chilled, dry Junmai Ginjo sake to complement the mineral notes. Serve as a middle course in a traditional multi-course Omakase menu. Accompany with a small side of seasoned sushi rice to soak up the extra liver sauce. A light cucumber and wakame sunomono salad provides a refreshing acidic contrast. Pairs beautifully with lightly grilled seasonal bamboo shoots in the spring.