There is a unique and quizzical love that exists for abalone, a gastropod mollusk that divers will risk life and limb to source.
It has a cult-like appeal that can be likened to the truffles, causing “ooo’s and ah’s” when spied on a menu. Its gastronomic pleasure is more about texture – it has a distinct, crunchy chewiness - than flavor, which is mild and buttery.
Abalone also presents a culinary challenge to chefs as it can turn rubbery in an instant if not nurtured properly.
This year, due to a crisis in the future of wild abalone in California, sport diving has been banned, so it’s been thanks to companies such as Monterey Abalone Company that chefs like Elizabeth Murray of Post Ranch Inn in Big Sur, California, are still able to wow diners with abalone delicacies on their menu.
Partners Trevor Frey and Art Seavey established Monterey Abalone Company in 1992, in an effort to fulfill growing demand for the mollusks without draining the ocean’s natural resources. And with their careful aquaculture practices, they have gained a “Best Choice” nod from the Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch Program.
Red abalone are the largest and most common abalone on the California coast and the only one that can be legally farmed. Monterey Abalone’s red abalone live in huge cages that are lowered from the end of the Monterey Commercial Wharf, thinned out as they grow to allow free development, and fed a very healthy dose of locally-harvested kelp to maintain natural growth and environment.
At the Post Ranch Inn, a restaurant perched on a cliff with floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the Pacific Ocean, Murray delights in finding new and exciting ways to prepare Monterey Abalone’s product. Murray has offered SeafoodSource recipes for five dishes that incorporate her favorite styles of preparation. Each dish is designed for six to eight appetizer or light entrée portions. To deliver a complete Post Ranch Inn experience, lead sommelier Marsella Charron has offered some perfect wine pairings.
Photos courtesy of Bryan Palafox
