Fisherman's Delight!

On Wednesday we had a scheduled power outage at home so we decided to run some errands in Monterey. As usual, we had lunch at the Sand Bar & Grill on Fisherman's Wharf, where we had our first date about two and a half years ago. I always have the sand dabs, and Eddie loves their steamed clams...fabulous!

The day was spectacular and we watched a large group of kids taking sailing lessons in the marina. We also found out that the huge cruise ship in the harbor was actually a "floating condo".

After lunch we stopped at a shop at the end of the commercial wharf to buy fish, but chose live abalone instead! We've never prepared or cooked this gourmet shellfish, but the shop owner was very helpful and told us how to do it. We were still a little daunted, but when we got home we went to YouTube and found out everything we needed to know...and more...about abalone.

Unbelievably, the wild red abalone, indigenous to our west coast of the United States, is endangered. Pollution and increasing demand from the world market lead to a rapid decline in the wild population and the eventual closure of commercial diving for abalone. Our abs were farm raised. They are grown in cages, fed kelp from Monterey Bay, and are available in various sizes or stages of growth. We chose six small ones, which worked out to about $6 a shell!

On Thursday Eddie shucked, cleaned and pounded them and I cooked them by dipping them in an egg wash and then seasoned flour. The ab guy cautioned us not to overcook them, so I fried them in HOT olive oil for about 20 seconds on each side. I served them with lemon slices, steamed asparagus and rice pilaf. YUMMY! Here's Eddie's how-to video on "shucking the abs"...click here. For more pix of the harbor and the cooking process...click here. Best view is full screen slideshow.

Hasta pronto!
Lisa