This Braised Abalone with Sea Cucumber and Fish Maw is a luxurious Chinese festive dish featuring premium ingredients slow-braised in a rich, savoury sauce. With tender abalone, silky fish maw and flavourful mushrooms, this classic recipe is perfect for Chinese New Year and special occasions.
Watch How To Make Chinese Braised Abalone with Sea Cucumber and Fish Maw – Recipe Video
Braised Abalone with Sea Cucumber, Fish Maw, Dried Scallop and Dried Shiitake Mushrooms dish is a luxurious treasure pot of the finest ocean delicacies. It is a classic symbol of prosperity and abundance in Chinese cuisine. Tender mushrooms slowly absorb a rich, golden braising sauce, while premium abalone and sea cucumber bring luxurious texture. Fish maw adds delicate silkiness, and dried scallops bring a deep, natural sweetness to every spoonful.
Often served during Chinese New Year and festive reunions, this dish is not just about indulgence – it represents wealth, harmony and good fortune for the year ahead. Slow-braised with patience, each ingredient shines on its own while coming together in perfect balance. Perfect as a centrepiece for special gatherings, this timeless delicacy celebrates tradition and heartfelt hospitality.
Quick Tips for Best Results
- Use premium canned abalone in braised sauce for deeper flavour
- Always add abalone last to keep it tender
- Use soaking liquids from mushrooms and scallops for extra umami
- Simmer gently — do not boil, to preserve texture
What is an Abalone?
Abalone is considered a luxury seafood in many Asian cuisines, especially Chinese dishes. It is a type of large sea snail (a marine shellfish) that lives attached to rocks in the ocean, similar to clams or oysters. It has a shiny and colourful flat oval shell (mother-of-pearl) with small holes along one side. Inside the shell is the firm edible meat.
It has a slightly sweet mild seafood taste and very savoury (umami). It has a firm and slightly chewy texture when cooked properly. Abalone is commonly served during Chinese New Year, banquets and special occasions, as it symbolises wealth, prosperity and good fortune.
There are three main forms available for chinese cooking:
- Dried abalone
- Fresh abalone
- Frozen abalone
What is Sea Cucumber?
Sea cucumber is a marine animal related to starfish and sea urchins. Sea cucumber is long and soft, like a cucumber – hence the name. It has a very mild taste, making it excellent at absorbing flavours from sauces and broths (See my other recipe for Braised Sea Cucumber With Fish Maw). When cooked, sea cucumber has a soft, slightly gelatinous and springy texture.
Common types used in Chinese cooking include:
- Japanese sea cucumber (small and high quality)
- Sandfish sea cucumber (thick and premium)
- Black sea cucumber (commonly used dried)
They are usually sold in fresh, frozen and dried forms. Dried sea cucumber must be soaked and rehydrated for several days before cooking. Sea cucumber is popular in banquet and festive dishes because it is believed to be nutritious, rich in collagen and it symbolizes prosperity and luxury.
What is Fish Maw in Chinese Cooking?
Fish maw is the dried swim bladder of fish and is prized in Chinese cuisine for its unique texture and high collagen content. The swim bladder is an internal organ that helps a fish to float and moves in water. Fish maw is usually light yellow or golden in colour. They consist of dried pieces that look puffy or sponge-like. When rehydrated and cooked, it becomes soft, slightly chewy and gelatinous, absorbing the flavours of the braising sauce beautifully.
Common types include:
- Eel fish maw (thin)
- Yellow croaker fish maw (premium and thicker)
- Giant fish maw (large and expensive)
Fish Maw is almost always sold in dried form. Before cooking, it is soaked in water, sometimes blanched and then added to soups or braised dishes. Fish maw is commonly used in festive and banquet dishes as it represents wealth and nourishment.
What is Dried Scallop (Conpoy)?
Dried scallops come from the Scallop, a shellfish that lives in the sea. They are made from the adductor muscle of scallops (the round part that opens and closes the shell) that have been cooked, salted and dried to concentrate their flavour.
In Cantonese, they are often called Conpoy. Dried scallops are small and round in shape.
Dried scallops are:
- Rich, sweet and intensely umami
- Golden yellow to light brown in colour
- Hard when dry, Fibrous and soft when cooked
Before cooking, they are soaked or steamed and often shredded to release their flavour into the dish.
What is Dried Shiitake Mushroom?
Dried shiitake mushrooms are known for their deep, rich and earthy flavour. They are mushrooms that have been harvested fresh and then naturally or artificially dried to preserve them and intensify their flavour. Dried Shiitake Mushrooms are dark brown to black in colour, with thick caps that often look slightly wrinkled or cracked after drying.
Compared to fresh mushrooms, drying intensifies their umami taste and smoky aroma – making dried mushrooms more fragrant than fresh ones. When dry, they have a firm, leathery texture. When soaked, they become soft and meaty while retaining a slightly firm bite. The soaking liquid is highly flavourful and should be used in the braising sauce, just like in my other favourite recipe – Braised Shiitake Mushrooms with Broccoli.
Why This Dish is Served During Chinese New Year
Braised abalone with sea cucumber and fish maw is often served during Chinese New Year because each ingredient carries symbolic meaning. Abalone represents wealth and prosperity, sea cucumber symbolises abundance, while fish maw signifies richness and good fortune. Together, this dish reflects hopes for a prosperous and successful year ahead, making it a popular centrepiece for reunion dinners and festive banquets.
Ingredients
Main Ingredients
- Braised Premium Abalone
- Dried Scallop
- Dried Shiitake Mushrooms
- Fish Maw
- Garlic
- Shallot
- Ginger
- Broccoli
Braising Sauce
- Braised Abalone Sauce
- Mushroom Liquid/Water
- Dried Scallop Liquid
Seasonings
- Light Soy Sauce
- Salt
- Oyster Sauce
- Shaoxing Wine
- Ground White Pepper
Overview: How to Make Braised Abalone with Sea Cucumber, Fish Maw, Dried Scallops and Mushrooms
Part 1: Prepare Ingredients
- Separate braised sauce from abalone in tin.
- Soak dried scallop. Drain and retain soaked liquid. Steam drained dried scallop.
- Rinse and soak dried shiitake mushrooms. Drain soaked shiitake mushrooms, cut off stems and retain the mushroom liquid.
- Soak fish maw and cut into big pieces.
- Peel garlic, ginger and shallot. Leave garlic in whole, cut ginger into thick slices and cut shallots in halves.
- Cut broccoli into florets. Soak in salt water. Then add salt, sugar and cooking oil into water to blanch the florets.
- Blanch thick slices of pork belly in water with ginger slices. Then marinate pork belly with dark soy sauce and salt.
- Cut sea cucumber into thick slices.
Part 2: Cooking Braised Abalone with Sea Cucumber, Fish Maw, Dried Scallops and Mushrooms
- Saute whole garlics, halved shallots and sliced ginger in hot oil ill fragrant and oil is infused with the aroma. Set aside sautéed garlic and ginger and discard shallots.
- Add in marinated pork belly and pan fry till golden brown. Remove from wok and set aside.
- Then add in the sautéed ginger and stir fry dried shiitake mushrooms till fragrant. Add chinese cooking wine and oyster sauce. Continue to fry for about 2 minutes.
- Pour in braised abalone sauce, pork belly, soaked mushroom and dried scallop liquid and followed with light soy sauce. Mix well. Cover lid and simmer over medium low heat for 30 minutes.
- Then add in sauteed garlic, fish maw and sea cucumber. Mix well. Cover lid and simmer over medium low heat for another 10 minutes.
- Once cooked, add in the abalone and cook for another 1 minute. Lastly season to taste with salt, ground white pepper and drizzle chinese cooking wine. Off heat and serve hot.
How to Serve Braised Abalone with Sea Cucumber, Fish Maw, Dried Scallops and Mushrooms
This dish is a luxurious dish often served during Chinese New Year or banquet dinners. The key is to plate it so the ingredients look rich, premium and elegant. This dish is best served with rice. In fact, rice is the classic pairing because it soaks up the rich, savoury sauce beautifully.
Classic Banquet Style (Restaurant-Style Presentation)
- Place blanched broccoli around the edge of a reasonably big round plate.
- Arrange braised mushrooms in the centre.
- Add pork belly, sea cucumber and fish maw around the mushrooms.
- Place premium size abalone neatly on top.
- Scatter the dried scallop on the top.
- Spoon the thick and rich braising sauce over everything,
Practical Tips For Best Results
This dish is all about deep flavour, silky texture and slow braising. They key is proper preparation of each ingredient and building a rich sauce.
- Choose a can of Premium Abalone (in braised sauce).
- Make sure all dried ingredients are prepared properly. This will determine how good the final dish will taste.
- Shiitake mushrooms need time to absorb flavour. Braise for about 30 minutes before adding other ingredients. This makes the mushrooms juicy and flavourful instead of dry.
- Add dried scallop soaking liquid and mushroom soaking liquid into the sauce for extra flavour boosters. These create a deep seafood umami flavour. Just strain the liquid to remove sand before using.
- Add the ingredients in stages (best braising order) so nothing overcooks and keeps every ingredient at the perfect texture. Start by braising dried shiitake mushrooms till juicy (30 minutes). Then add sea cucumber and fish maw (10 minutes). Sea cucumber should turn soft and bouncy and fish maw turn silky. Add abalone last (1-2 minutes). Abalone should be tender but slightly firm, Abalone becomes tough and rubbery if overcooked.
- Keep the braising heat gentle. Do not boil strongly. Use low to medium heat to simmer so the ingredients slowly absorb the sauce.
- Serve with green vegetables. Good choices are broccoli and baby bok choy. The green colour makes the dish look festive and elegant.
- If serve as part of a meal rather than a banquet course, it’s best eaten with white rice. The savoury, umami-rich braising sauce soaks into the rice beautifully.
- Serve the dish hot as it will lose its appeal when it cools down.
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Braised Abalone With Sea Cucumber, Fish Maw, Dried Scallops and Dried Shiitake Mushrooms
Tap or Hover to Adjust Servings
Ingredients
Ingredients:
- 1 can Braised Premium Abalone
- 6 Dried Scallops, 6-8, depending on size
- 80 grams Dried Shiitake Mushrooms, soak till soft
- 30 grams Fish Maw, soak till soft
- 8 cloves Garlic, peel skin and keep in whole
- 2 Shallots, peel skin and cut in halves
- 30 gram Ginger, cut into thick slices
- 1 Broccoli, cut into florets
- 250 gram Pork Belly, cut into thick pieces
- 200 gram Sea Cucumber, cut into thick pieces
Sauce:
- 1 tin Braised Abalone Sauce
- 250 ml Mushroom Liquid / Water
- ½ cup Dried Scallop Liquid
Seasonings:
- 2 tbsp Light Soy Sauce
- 2 tbsp Oyster Sauce
- 2 tbsp Shaoxing Wine
- ½ tsp Salt
- 1 tsp Ground White Pepper
Have ready all ingredients needed to cook the dish.
Peel garlic and shallot. Keep garlic in whole and cut shallot in halves. Then peel ginger and slice into thick slices.
Separate the abalone from the braised sauce in the tin.
Prepare the dried scallops. Rinse the dried scallops, add water and leave to soak for an hour.
Put the scallop onto a plate and reserve the scallop water. Steam the drained scallop for 20 minutes. Remove and set aside.
Prepare the dried shiitake mushrooms. Rinse well the dried shiitake mushrooms. Add water and soak for 2 to 3 hours till soft.
Squeeze off excess water from the soaked mushrooms. Strain and retain the mushroom water. Cut off the mushroom's stems and set aside in a bowl.
Next Prepare fish maw. Put the fish maw in a big bowl of water. Soak till soft. Press down with a plate or bowl to speed up the softening process.
When fish maw has softened, rinse and cut into 5-7cm pieces with a pair of scissors. Then set aside.
Then Prepare sea cucumber. Cut soaked sea cucumber into thick pieces. Place into a bowl.
Next Prepare broccoli. Cut broccoli into florets. Soak in salt water for 15 minutes.
Bring a pot of water to a boil. Add ½ tsp salt, ½ tsp sugar and 1 tsp cooking oil. Blanch the soaked broccoli. Once boiled, remove and drain broccoli from pot.
Plunge balanced broccoli into cold water. Then drained and set aside.
Lastly Prepare marinated pork belly. Cut pork belly into thick slices. Blanch in hot water with some slices of ginger and cooking wine. Blanch for 5-10 minutes after the water comes to a boil. Then remove from pot.
Add ¼ tsp dark soy sauce and pinch of salt. Mix well into the pork belly. Leave to marinate while we prepare to cook the dish.
Heat up 2 tbsp cooking oil in wok. Saute whole garlics, shallots and slices of ginger till fragrant and oil is infused with the aroma. Separately remove garlic and ginger slices into a bowl and discard sauted shallots.
Add marinated pork belly and pan fry till golden brown. Remove from wok.
Next, add in soaked shiitake mushrooms. Stir fry till fragrant. Add in fried ginger slices, 1 tbsp shoaxing wine and 2 tbsp oyster sauce. Fry for about 2 minutes.
Then pour in braised abalone sauce. Add in the pork belly and the mushroom water followed by reserved scallop water. Next add in 2 tbsp light soy sauce. Mix well. Bring to a boil. Cover with lid. Simmer 30 minutes over medium low heat.
After 30 minutes, add in the sautéed garlic, fish maw and sea cucumber. Stir to mix well. Bring the sauce to a boil again. Cover with lid and simmer for another 10 minutes over medium low heat.
Once cooked, add in the abalone and cook for another 1 minute. Lastly add in ½tsp salt, season to taste. Also add 1 tsp ground white pepper and 1 tbsp shaoxing wine. Off heat and its time to plate the dish.
First arrange blanched broccoli florets around a serving platter. Place shiitake mushrooms at the bottom of the plate. Then add braised fish maw followed by pork belly. Then add sea cucumber. Lastly top with braised abalone and steamed dried scallops. Drizzle the rich abalone sauce over the dish and we are done!
Serve this festive dish on its own or best served with rice for a hearty, satisfying meal. So Enjoy!
Instructions
Prepare Ingredients:
Cooking Braised Abalone Dish:
Plating the Braised Abalone Dish:
Enjoy!
Recipe Video
Notes
- Choose a can of PREMIUM abalone (in braised sauce).
- Make sure all dried ingredients are prepared properly. This will determine how good the final dish will taste.
- Shiitake mushrooms need time to absorb flavour. Braise for about 30 minutes before adding other ingredients. This makes the mushrooms juicy and flavourful instead of dry.
- Add dried scallop soaking liquid and mushroom soaking liquid into the sauce for extra flavour boosters. These create a deep seafood umami flavour. Just strain the liquid to remove sand before using.
- Add the ingredients in stages (best braising order) so nothing overcooks and keeps every ingredient at the perfect texture. Start by braising dried shiitake mushrooms till juicy (30 minutes). Then add sea cucumber and fish maw (10 minutes). Sea cucumber should turn soft and bouncy and fish maw turn silky. Add abalone last (1-2 minutes). Abalone should be tender but slightly firm, Abalone becomes tough and rubbery if overcooked.
- Keep the braising heat gentle. Do not boil strongly. Use low to medium heat to simmer so the ingredients slowly absorb the sauce.
- Serve with green vegetables. Good choices are broccoli and baby bok choy. The green colour makes the dish look festive and elegant.
- If serve as part of a meal rather than a banquet course, it’s best eaten with white rice. The savoury, umami-rich braising sauce soaks into the rice beautifully.
- Serve the dish hot as it will lose its appeal when it cools down.
NUTRITION
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use canned abalone instead of dried abalone?
Yes, canned braised abalone is highly recommended for this recipe. It is convenient and already comes with a rich braising sauce, which adds depth of flavour to the dish. Simply separate the abalone from the sauce and use both during cooking.
Why is my abalone tough or rubbery?
Abalone becomes tough when overcooked. For best results, add the abalone only at the final stage and simmer briefly for about 1 minute. This keeps the texture tender with a slight bite.
How long should I braise the ingredients?
Braising should be done in stages for the best texture. First, simmer the shiitake mushrooms for about 30 minutes to allow them to fully absorb the sauce. Then add the fish maw and sea cucumber and simmer for another 10 minutes. Finally, add the abalone and cook briefly.
Do I need to use soaking liquids from mushrooms and scallops?
Yes, the soaking liquids are very important as they are packed with natural umami flavour. Always strain the liquid to remove any impurities before adding it to the braising sauce.
How do I properly prepare dried ingredients like fish maw and mushrooms?
Dried shiitake mushrooms should be soaked for 2 to 3 hours until fully softened, while fish maw needs to be soaked until soft and then cut into pieces. Proper soaking ensures the ingredients absorb flavour well and achieve the right texture when cooked.
Can I prepare this dish in advance?
Yes, this dish can be prepared ahead of time. In fact, the flavours develop even more after resting, as the ingredients continue to absorb the braising sauce. Reheat gently before serving.
Why do you add ingredients in stages?
Each ingredient requires a different cooking time. Adding them in stages prevents overcooking and ensures the best texture — mushrooms become tender and flavourful, fish maw turns silky, and abalone remains tender instead of tough.
Can I skip pork belly in this recipe?
Yes, pork belly can be omitted for a pork-free or lighter version. It adds richness, but the dish will still be flavourful. You can substitute with chicken (thigh or bone-in) or simply add more mushrooms. Or you can keep the dish purely seafood-based.
What should I serve with braised abalone?
This dish is best served with steamed white rice, which pairs perfectly with the rich and savoury braising sauce. It is also commonly served as part of a larger banquet meal.
