Braised Mushrooms and Abalone

Wash and soak mushrooms for 4 hours or overnight until soft and puffy. Remove and trim off stalks. Strain and reserve ¾ cup (180ml) soaking liquid.

In a clay pot or heavy bottom pot, heat vegetable oil. Add pork belly. Fry for 2 minutes. Add garlic and continue to stir fry for 30 seconds. Then add mushrooms. Stir to coat mushrooms with oil.

Add soy sauce and Shao Hsing rice wine. Pour in mushroom soaking liquid. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer on low for 45 minutes.

Bring a medium sized pot of water to boil. Add a little salt. Blanch carrots for 30 seconds to 1 minute. Remove with metal strainer and dunk into cold water to stop the cooking. Drain. Do the same for the broccoli florets.

When mushrooms are cooked, do a taste test. If it is not salty enough, add just a little salt. Add abalone. Cook for no more than 2 minutes or it will be tough and rubbery.

Ladle mushrooms and abalone out of the pot, leaving the sauce in the pot. Pour in corn starch mixture to thicken the sauce. If it appears to be a little too thick, add a little water. Sauce should be of a pourable consistency. Turn off stove.

Arrange blanched vegetables decoratively on a platter to form an outer circle. Arrange mushrooms to form an inner circle. Then place abalone in the center. Abalone may be served whole or sliced lengthwise.

Drizzle sauce over abalone, mushrooms, and vegetables. Serve immediately.