Paul's [recipe] Corner

This is from the Food Trail episode two - where I cooked with Chris Talihmanidis at Chris's Beacon Point Restaurant in Apollo Bay.

http://www.accommodationnetwork.com.au/retreats/vic/south/chriss_restaurant_villas.html

2 Fresh Abalone
Sesame oil
One Lebanese cucumber
1 tsp salt
¼ cup vinegar
1 ½ tblsp white sugar
1 tsp grated ginger
Fresh Oyster mushrooms – sliced thinly
Bean Sprouts
3tblsp rice wine
2 tblsp soy
1tbsp sugar (white)
¼ tsp salt
½ tbsp mirin
Fish sauce to taste approx ½ tsp
Sesame seeds - toasted

For Pickled Cucumber: peel cucumber and cut thin long strips or ribbons – discard seeds. Put strips into a colander and sprinkle with salt and let sit for 10 – 15 mins. Mix vinegar, sugar and ginger in a bowl – drain cucumber and put in vinegar mixture give it a mix and set it aside.

For Salad Dressing: combine rice wine, soy, sugar, salt, mirin and fish sauce – mix and set aside.

Clean abalone. Take the muscle and cover with plastic wrap and then give the muscle a couple of good whacks with a rolling pin or some other blunt object. This will tenderize the meat. Slice the abalone very thinly across the top of the meat. Toss sliced abalone in a little sesame oil and then flash fry in a hot pan turning once – should cook for 15 – 20 seconds any longer and it will turn into boot leather.

To assemble salad: put some pickled cucumber ribbons mounded on a plate, top with some bean sprouts and then some mushrooms. Place some abalone on top. Dress with the sauce and sprinkle over some toasted sesame seeds.