Anonymous August 25 2005

12 2 1/2 inch abalone

1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger

12 ounces fresh spinach, cleaned, stemmed and patted dry

1 bunch fresh chives, cleaned and dried

4 sprigs fresh cilantro

4 fresh basil leaves

1/4 cup chicken stock

3/4 cup whipping cream

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon Chinese chili sauce

1 tablespoon cornstarch

1 tablespoon cold water

1/4 cup butter, cut up)

freshly ground black pepper

Abalone: Rinse. Run thin bladed knife around inside edge of shell to

shuck out meat. Discard visceral parts without trimming off dark

edges; place abalone in a resealable bag. With a wooden mallet,

using sharp wrist movements, tap flesh repeatedly without ripping it

apart, working in circular motion, starting from center, to obtain a

uniform thickness. Turn over and repeat procedure for other side. Or

you can place abalone on lower half of a tea towel, fold the other

half of the towel over abalone and pound as directed. Thoroughly dry

abalone. Rub with half of the ginger, then cover and refrigerate

until ready to use. Jade Sauce: In a blender

or food processor, process spinach, chives, cilantro, basil and

ginger in batches until finely chopped. Add chicken stock and

process until smooth. Add cream, salt and chili sauce; process until

pureed. Place mixture over low heat and bring to a simmer. Meanwhile,

make cornstarch slurry. Add mixture to simmering sauce and stir until

well blended. Cook, stirring occasionally 2 to 4 minutes until

thick. To assemble: Preheat oven to 500F. Place prepared

abalone on baking sheet. Dot with butter and season with pepper to

taste. Bake abalone until flesh turns white and is firm to the touch

3 to 4 minutes. Remove from oven.