Bao yu
Bao yu | |||||||||||
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![]() Cantonese-style braised abalone, with Chinese black mushrooms | |||||||||||
Traditional Chinese | 鮑魚 | ||||||||||
Simplified Chinese | 鲍鱼 | ||||||||||
Jyutping | baau6*1 jyu4 | ||||||||||
Hanyu Pinyin | bao4 yu2 | ||||||||||
Literal meaning | abalone | ||||||||||
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Bao yu is the common name given to the groups of Cantonese cuisine delicacy dishes using abalone as the featured ingredient. In Hong Kong and China there are a variety of dishes. Some are quite common, while others are regional if not exclusive to certain restaurants. Dishes made with abalone can range anywhere from moderate to very expensive in price.
Varieties
A number of cooking styles exist for abalone. The most common cooking technique is braising (Chinese: 燜; pinyin: mèn), which provides long-term steaming to render a tough ingredient quite tender and soft. There are also steamed and baked abalone dishes. Some are even cooked with the shell, and served in a shell-bowl. The interesting part is that the same ingredient can generate a wide variety of taste. Some cooking methods can generate a rough texture, while others may leave the abalone very smooth.
Side ingredients
The most common ingredients used to add flavor or absorb flavor are Chinese cabbage, dried scallops, straw mushrooms, Chinese black mushroom, and brocoli.