Abalone with spaghetti vegetables

A light, zesty dish using lemon aspen to deliver a fresh citrus flavour that pairs oh so perfectly with the abalone.

Abalone with spaghetti vegetables Credit: On Country Kitchen

• serves

  2

• prep

  25 minutes

• cook

  15 minutes

• difficulty

  Mid

Ingredients

• 6 whole abalone
• 1 carrot, spiralised 
• 1 zucchini, spiralised 
• 1 red capsicum, cut into julienne
• 1 bunch asparagus, ends trimmed and cut into 4 
• 1 leek, pale end only, cut into julienne
• 30 ml olive oil 
• 30 g unsalted butter
• splash of lemon aspen juice (see note)
• 50 ml lemon aspen syrup (see note)
• large pinch dried lemon myrtle 
• ½ tsp ground saltbush 
• ¼ tsp ground native mountain pepper leaf (see note)
• juice of 1 small lime 
• 80 ml (⅓ cup) oyster sauce 
• good pinch pink lake salt 
• fresh sea parsley, to serve

Instructions

Place the abalone in a large zip lock bag and gently but firmly pound both sides with the flat side of a meat tenderiser about 20 times to help tenderise the meat. Remove from the bag and use a large, sharp knife to thinly slice.  

Lightly steam all of the prepared vegetables separately. 

Heat the oil and butter in a large frying pan over high heat.Add the lemon aspen juice and syrup, lemon myrtle, saltbush and black pepper leaf and stir to combine. Add the abalone and cook for 30 seconds, then remove from the pan. Add the steamed vegetables, lime juice and oyster sauce and toss until heated through. Add the abalone, toss to combine, then season to taste. Divide between bowls, scatter with sea parsley sprigs and serve immediately. 

Notes:

• Native to far north Queensland, lemon aspen is a pale lemon coloured fruit with an intense citrus amora. The juice has a very strong acid flavour of lemon with a hint of grapefruit. Lemon aspen juice, the sweetened syrup and lemon aspen powder are available online from native food stores.  

• Mountain pepper leaf is also known as Tasmanian mountain pepper leaf or mountain pepper. Pepper berries come from the same tree. Available online from native food stores.

Catch Mark Olive in the second season of On Country Kitchen, Wednesdays 7:30 on NITV from 23 October to 18 December, or on SBS On Demand.

Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.