Braised abalone and napa cabbage on rice
Tinned abalone is a Hong Kong solstice-feast staple — here sliced and glazed in its own juices over sweet, tender napa cabbage for a festive yet moistening lunch.
- 25 min
- Serves 2
- Braise
- Easy
Why it suits you: Yin-deficient types often end up with a dry mouth and throat and restless sleep after the roast meats and fried food of the solstice feast. Abalone nourishes yin and clears heat, and napa cabbage is sweet and moistening. Using tinned abalone, a festive, moistening lunch is ready in under half an hour.
Method
Prep 10 min · Cook 15 min- 1Drain the abalone, keeping the liquid, and cut it into thick slices.
- 2Cut the napa cabbage into pieces, keeping stems and leaves apart. Fry the ginger in the oil, add the stems, then the leaves, with a pinch of salt and stir-fry until wilted.
- 3Add the water and half the abalone liquid, cover and cook for 5 minutes until the cabbage is soft and sweet. Lift it onto the rice.
- 4Bring the rest of the abalone liquid to the boil with the oyster sauce, add the abalone and goji berries for 1 minute, then thicken lightly with the cornflour mixed with a little water.
- 5Spoon the abalone and sauce over the cabbage and serve.
Cautions
- Tinned abalone and oyster sauce are salty — with high blood pressure, use less of both.
Chef's tips
- Tinned abalone is already cooked, so just warm it for a minute; any longer makes it tough.
The TCM view
Abalone is sweet, salty and neutral, nourishing yin, clearing heat and supporting essence; napa cabbage is sweet, neutral and slightly cold, clearing heat, easing restlessness and helping the bowels; goji berries are sweet and neutral, nourishing the liver and kidneys; rice is sweet and neutral, harmonising the stomach. Moistening and yin-nourishing overall, it suits yin-deficient types at the Winter Solstice.
