This Braised Abalone Mushroom Noodles is inspired by the classic braised abalone with mushrooms. For this recipe, I added noodles to give it a slight twist, turning it into a dish that’s comforting yet still festive enough for Chinese New Year. The noodles soak up all the umami flavours from the abalone, mushrooms, and dried scallops, making the dish especially satisfying.
It does take some time to prepare the ingredients but the steps are simple. If you’re looking for a Braised Abalone Mushroom Noodles recipe that feels festive yet is simple to make at home, this is one dish you’ll want to try during Chinese New Year.
If you’re planning other dishes and snacks for Chinese New Year, you may also like Teochew Style Steamed Pomfret with Meehoon and Pineapple Tart.
Braised Abalone Mushroom Noodles Tutorial:
Method:
Prepare the mushrooms
- Rinse the dried mushrooms and soak them in water until soft (about 3–4 hours or overnight).
- Squeeze out excess water.
- Remove the stems and slice the mushrooms into thin strips.
Prepare the dried scallops
- Rinse the dried scallops and soak them in water for about 30 minutes.
- Drain and reserve the soaking water for the sauce.
- Gently shred the scallops into thinner strands.
Prepare the abalone
- Separate the abalone from the brine.
- Do not discard the abalone water, as it will be used in the sauce later.
- If using abalone with ready-made sauce, adjust the seasoning accordingly.
Prepare the aromatic
- Roughly chop garlic and shallots (in the cooking video, I minded the garlic, I realised that the garlic burnt quite easily)
- Julienne ginger
Cook the noodles
- Bring a pot of water to a boil and cook the noodles according to packet instructions.
- Slightly undercook the noodles, as they will be cooked again with the sauce.
- Drain and rinse with cold water to stop the cooking process. Set aside.
Prepare the sauce base
- Heat a wok over medium heat and add oil.
- Add dried scallops, shallots, and roughly chopped garlic.
- Sauté until fragrant or until the edges of the dried scallops, shallot and garlic turn golden brown.
- Add the sliced mushrooms and sauté until fragrant and the edges begin to turn lightly golden.
Braise the sauce
- Add the reserved scallop soaking water, abalone water, chicken stock, light soy sauce, Shaoxing wine, and abalone sauce.
- Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer for about 45 minutes.
Season and thicken
- Season with salt, sugar, and a few drops of sesame oil.
- Stir in the cornstarch slurry and cook until the sauce thickens to your desired consistency.
Assemble the dish
- Once the sauce has thickened, add the abalone and cooked noodles.
- Toss gently and cook for 1–2 minutes only, just until everything is well coated.
- Add fresh ginger and mix well. Season if necessary.
- Serve warm with broccoli or your choice of vegetables.
Cooking tips:
Roughly chop the garlic:
Roughly chopped garlic is less likely to burn compared to minced garlic. Minced garlic cooks very quickly and can turn bitter if over-browned, especially during longer sautéing.
Undercook the noodles slightly:
Since the noodles will be cooked again with the sauce, undercooking them helps prevent a mushy texture.
Do not overcook the abalone:
Abalone cooks very quickly once added to the sauce. Overcooking will cause it to turn tough and rubbery.
Get the sauce consistency right first:
Always thicken the sauce to the right consistency before adding the abalone and noodles. This ensures they are evenly coated without overcooking.
Reserve soaking liquids:
The soaking water from dried scallops and the abalone brine add depth and natural umami to the sauce — don’t discard them.
Use good-quality abalone and chicken stock:
The overall flavour of the sauce depends largely on the quality of the abalone and the chicken stock used. Using good-quality ingredients gives the sauce a cleaner, deeper umami flavour and keeps it well balanced.
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Print Recipe for Braised Abalone Mushroom Noodles:
Braised Abalone Mushroom Noodles
Ingredients
- 100 grams small to medium mushrooms 100克中小型蘑菇
- 180 grams egg noodles 180克面
- 2 cans abalone in brine 2罐盐水鲍鱼
- 30 grams dried scallops 30克干贝
- 6 cloves garlic roughly chopped 6瓣大蒜，切大块
- 15 shallots roughly chopped 15个红葱头，切大块
- 3-4 tablespoon cooking oil 3-4汤匙食用油
Sauce 酱:
- Abalone liquid 鲍鱼汁
- 100 ml dried scallop liquid 100毫升干贝汁
- 800 ml chicken stock 800毫升鸡汤
- 2 tablespoon light soy sauce 2汤匙生抽
- 2 tablespoon abalone sauce 2汤匙鲍鱼酱
- 3 tablespoon shaoxing wine 3汤匙绍兴酒
Seasoning:
- 1/2 teaspoon salt 半茶匙盐
- pinch of sugar 少许糖
- few drops of sesame oil 几滴芝麻油
- 2 tablespoon cornstarch + 1/2 cup water 2汤匙玉米淀粉 + 半杯水
- 1-2 tablespoon ginger julienned 1-2汤匙姜丝
Garnish 装饰:
- 1 small broccoli 1个小西兰花
Instructions
Prepare the mushrooms
- Rinse the dried mushrooms and soak them in water until soft (about 3–4 hours or overnight).
- Squeeze out excess water.
- Remove the stems and slice the mushrooms into thin strips.
Prepare the dried scallops
- Rinse the dried scallops and soak them in water for about 30 minutes.
- Drain and reserve the soaking water for the sauce.
- Gently shred the scallops into thinner strands.
Prepare the abalone
- Separate the abalone from the brine.
- Do not discard the abalone water, as it will be used in the sauce later.
- If using abalone with ready-made sauce, adjust the seasoning accordingly.
Prepare the aromatics
- Roughly chop garlic and shallots (in the cooking video, I minded the garlic, I realised that the garlic burnt quite easily)
- Julienne ginger
Cook the noodles
- Bring a pot of water to a boil and cook the noodles according to packet instructions.
- Slightly undercook the noodles, as they will be cooked again with the sauce.
- Drain and rinse with cold water to stop the cooking process. Set aside.
Prepare the sauce base
- Heat a wok over medium heat and add oil.
- Add dried scallops, shallots, and roughly chopped garlic.
- Sauté until fragrant or until the edges of the dried scallops, shallot and garlic turn golden brown.
- Add the sliced mushrooms and sauté until fragrant and the edges begin to turn lightly golden.
Braise the sauce
- Add the reserved scallop soaking water, abalone water, chicken stock, light soy sauce, Shaoxing wine, and abalone sauce.
- Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer for about 45 minutes.
Season and thicken
- Season with salt, sugar, and a few drops of sesame oil.
- Stir in the cornstarch slurry and cook until the sauce thickens to your desired consistency.
Assemble the dish
- Once the sauce has thickened, add the abalone and cooked noodles.
- Toss gently and cook for 1–2 minutes only, just until everything is well coated.
- Add fresh ginger and mix well. Season if necessary.
- Serve warm with broccoli or your choice of vegetables.
Notes
Roughly chopped garlic is less likely to burn compared to minced garlic. Minced garlic cooks very quickly and can turn bitter if over-browned, especially during longer sautéing. Undercook the noodles slightly:
Since the noodles will be cooked again with the sauce, undercooking them helps prevent a mushy texture. Do not overcook the abalone:
Abalone cooks very quickly once added to the sauce. Overcooking will cause it to turn tough and rubbery. Get the sauce consistency right first:
Always thicken the sauce to the right consistency before adding the abalone and noodles. This ensures they are evenly coated without overcooking. Reserve soaking liquids:
The soaking water from dried scallops and the abalone brine add depth and natural umami to the sauce — don’t discard them. Use good-quality abalone and chicken stock:
The overall flavour of the sauce depends largely on the quality of the abalone and the chicken stock used. Using good-quality ingredients gives the sauce a cleaner, deeper umami flavour and keeps it well balanced.