CHINESE COOKING: This is not meant to be your everyday family dish because of the high cost of the abalone. But substituting abalone with prince mushrooms makes for a nice vegetarian dish.

BRAISED ABALONE****:

½ can of abalone, sliced thinly                       

12 cooked pigeon eggs, optional

12 canned baby corn                                      

½ cup sliced canned straw mushrooms

2-3 bunches cooked baby bok-choy               

1 tbsp. rice wine or dry sherry

sauce ingredients:

    ½ cup abalone juice (from can)      

    2 cups good chicken stock

    1 ½ tsp. salt                                     

    ½ tsp. sugar

    1 tsp. sesame oil

    1 ½ tsp. tapioca starch mixed with   1 ½ tbsp. water

Mix sauce ingredients together and add it into wok or non-stick saucepan together with the rice wine/sherry. Add pigeon eggs (if using), baby corn and straw mushrooms. Bring to a gentle boil and cook together at medium heat for 2-3 minutes. Add starch solution into sauce and bring liquid back to a boil. Cooking for a minute or so to thicken.

Pour sauce mixture, leaving 1-2 tbsp. liquid in the pan, onto a serving platter, decorated with baby bok-choy.

Add abalone slices to remaining sauce. Warm through but do not boil. Arrange abalone on top of the other ingredients to serve. 

****Abalone is a delicacy in China and is very expensive to buy. This recipe is only for those who want to try out such a delicacy. Even in Chinese restaurants, a type of mushrooms, known as "prince mushrooms" are used to substitute for the canned abalone slices****.