Abalone
Published on
January 23, 2014
Wild abalone populations on the U.S. West Coast and worldwide have been decimated by predation, disease, loss of habitat and overfishing. However, farmed supply is alleviating the harvest shortfall; worldwide, more than 15 abalone species are commercially cultivated. The most popular and common abalone in the North American market is the red abalone (Haliotis rufescens), available as farmed product from California and both wild-harvested and farmed from Mexico. The only viable population of black abalone (H. cracherodii) in North America surrounds San Miguel Island off the southern California coast. The average size of wild-caught abalone is 12 inches, with meat weight averaging 1 pound per animal. Farmed abalone average about 4 inches in length. Grown either in onshore saltwater pens or in suspended cages, farmed abalone take three to four years to reach marketable size of four to six live animals per pound.
Haliotis spp.
Abalone
Red abalone, black abalone, white abalone, pink abalone, green abalone, Australian abalone, giant abalone, blackfoot abalone, pinto abalone, blacklip abalone, greenlip abalone, Japanese abalone
Ormeau
Seeohr
Orecchia marina
Awabi
Oreja de mar
Wild abalone populations on the U.S. West Coast and worldwide have been decimated by predation, disease, loss of habitat and overfishing. However, farmed supply is alleviating the harvest shortfall; worldwide, more than 15 abalone species are commercially cultivated. The most popular and common abalone in the North American market is the red abalone (Haliotis rufescens), available as farmed product from California and both wild-harvested and farmed from Mexico. The only viable population of black abalone (H. cracherodii) in North America surrounds San Miguel Island off the southern California coast. The average size of wild-caught abalone is 12 inches, with meat weight averaging 1 pound per animal. Farmed abalone average about 4 inches in length. Grown either in onshore saltwater pens or in suspended cages, farmed abalone take three to four years to reach marketable size of four to six live animals per pound.
Abs consist mainly of a large, strong foot, which is the edible meat. When cooked, abalone is milky-moist, tender and mild — somewhat like lobster, though sweeter to the sophisticated palate. Taste-wise, abalone is also a distant cousin to calamari. Cultured abalone may be slightly more tender than wild-run.Frozen meat should be firm, like an ivory-colored hockey puck. When thawed, it should have nearly no aroma. Cooked abalone appears in various shades of white. Live abalone should be active and stuck hard to the tank. The foot muscle should respond to touch. If it doesn’t, or if it dents, the animal is near death.
| Calories: | 105 |
| Fat Calories: | 7.2 |
| Total Fat: | 0.8 g |
| Saturated Fat: | 0.1 g |
| Cholesterol: | 85 mg |
| Sodium: | 301 mg |
| Protein: | 17 g |
| Omega 3: | 0.1 g |
Shuck live abalone with a wide spatula placed between meat and shell. Trim viscera and fringe. For steaks, make 3/8-inch slices parallel to the bottom of the foot and lightly pound with a wooden mallet until tender. Do not overpound — you will shred the meat. Heat oil to near flash point in a shallow pan, then sauté less than 1 minute per side. Overcooking turns this delicacy to shoe leather. Save trimmings for chowder stock.
Squid, Cuttlefish
- Bake
- Boil
- Broil
- Fry
- Grill
- Pate
- Poach
- Saute
- Smoke
- Steam
Fresh: Live (in-shell), Shucked meats, Steaks
Frozen: Shucked meats, Steaks
Value-added: Canned, Dried
Australia, Chile, China, Japan, Mexico, New Zealand, South Africa, Taiwan, United States
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