Today I’m going to show you how to clean abalone and make sotbap (pot rice) with it. With tender, pleasantly chewy abalone, the fresh taste of the sea from the miyeok, and the rich aroma of butter, this abalone sotbap is deeply comforting and makes you feel happy with every bite!
Some of you may remember the video I filmed in Korea when I visited Yeosu, the city where I grew up. I made abalone porridge for my aunt, using beautiful wild abalone from the Yeosu fish market. She looked at the abalone I brought and kept saying, “You bought such an expensive thing!” I still remember that warmly.
Abalone porridge is probably the best-known abalone dish in Korea, but abalone is also delicious eaten raw, as well as grilled, steamed, braised, or cooked into sotbap like this. If you go to a large Korean grocery store, you may even find live abalone in the seafood tanks. I included the cleaning method in this video so that anyone can learn it easily.
In the video, I serve this with cucumber salad, homemade salted fermented squid, stir-fried anchovies and walnuts, and kimchi. You can find all of those recipes on my website. But if you don’t have time to make side dishes, I’ve also included a simple seasoning sauce recipe below. Just mix it into the rice, and you’ll have a delicious meal even without any side dishes.
Enjoy a healthy and delicious Korean meal at home!
Serves 2
Prep time: 1 hour 20 minutes
Cook time: 22 minutes
Total time: 1 hour 42 minutes
Ingredients
- 2 to 3 medium or large abalone, cleaned and sliced (see video)
- 1 cup rice, washed and soaked for at least 1 hour
- 10 grams dried miyeok, soaked in cold water for 30 minutes
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 3 teaspoons soy sauce
- 1 egg
- 4 green onions, chopped
- 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
- 1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds, ground
Directions:
1. Prepare the abalone:
- Scrub both the shell and the flesh thoroughly under running water with a kitchen brush.
Starting from the pointed end of the shell, insert the back of a spoon between the flesh and the shell and gently work it in to separate the flesh from the shell. Remove the flesh carefully without breaking the intestine.
- Place the abalone flesh on a cutting board. Cut off the pointed tip to remove the mouth and hard tooth. Rinse it well under running water and place it in a small bowl.
- Trim off the small raised part at the top of the intestine because it can contain grit. Rinse the intestine well under running water, place it on a cutting board, cut it into small pieces, then mince it finely. Place it in a small bowl. Slice the abalone into slightly thick, flat pieces.
2. Prepare the miyeok and rice:
- Drain the soaked miyeok, squeeze out the excess water, chop it, and transfer it to a bowl. Add 1 teaspoon soy sauce and 1 teaspoon sesame oil, and mix well. Set aside.
- Drain the rice and place it in a bowl.
3. Cook:
- Heat a stone pot over medium high heat. My stone pot takes about 5 minutes to heat up. If you don’t have a stone pot, use any heavy-bottomed pot.
- When the pot is hot, add the remaining 1 tablespoon sesame oil and the garlic, and stir until fragrant. Add the intestine and stir for 1 minute. Add the miyeok and stir for another minute. Add the rice and continue stirring for about 2 to 3 minutes, until the rice looks slightly translucent.
- Add ¾ cup water and the remaining 2 teaspoons soy sauce. Stir well and cover with the lid. Reduce the heat to medium and cook for 7 minutes. After about 3 minutes, open the lid and stir the rice well with a spoon to keep it from sticking to the bottom. Cover and continue cooking.
- Open the lid, place the butter in the center, and spread the sliced abalone evenly over the top. Reduce the heat to low and cook for another 7 minutes.
- After 7 minutes, check to see if the rice is fully cooked. If it is still a little hard, cook for a few more minutes.
- Remove from the heat. Crack the egg into the center, then sprinkle with the green onions and ground sesame seeds.
- Cover and bring it to the table right away. Serve with a few side dishes, including kimchi.
Optional seasoning sauce:
If you don’t have time to prepare side dishes, make this simple sauce and mix it with the rice. You may not need anything else.
Combine 3 tablespoons soy sauce, ½ teaspoon sugar (optional), 1 teaspoon gochugaru, and 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil in a small bowl. Mix well.
4. To serve:
Gently fluff the rice and divide it into serving bowls.
You will see some scorched rice on the bottom of the pot. Add about 1 cup cold water to the pot and cover. While you enjoy the meal, the scorched rice will continue to soften in the hot pot. Scrape the bottom lightly with a spoon and enjoy.
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