10 5/8" 6 plus lbs. Red Abalone, Ft. Bragg, CA Aug. 7, 2016

[El Pescador]

Long time construction buddy just emailed this to me!

10 5/8" - 6 plus pounds of Red Abalone.

Found just north of Ft. Bragg, CA, in 6 feet of water, yesterday.

Monster AB for sure - Guess what Wayne's having for Dinner tonight?

[Steve-O]

Nice!

bet there will be a lot of boats and divers in the water just north of Fort Bragg.

[Bryan Young]

Wow, I know where that is.  I bet the big ones are all gone now    after this posting.

[El Pescador]

Don't think so Bryan!

All the Ab Divers I've ever met are the BIGGEST bunch of prevaricated liars I've ever known.

The photo MAY not be the location of the big catch, in fact, it could be 20 miles up or down the coast.

Either way, nice sized abalone for sure.

When are you and I going fishing next???

Wayne

[Bryan Young]

Hi Wayne,

Not sure on the next fishing trip.  Want to go on the Endeavor with the gang in the fall but trying to save up for the long range trip next year.

[anglingarchitect]

Never had Abalone, basically a giant limpet? What do they taste like? I know they are very expensive, and getting more so, since they  got over harvested and are rare. Is there an aquaculture hatchery possibility to bring them back?

[Dominick]

Either way, nice sized abalone for sure.

Wayne

Ahem!     I cleaned the kitchen.  Dominick

[El Pescador]

Never had Abalone, basically a giant limpet? What do they taste like? I know they are very expensive, and getting more so, since they  got over harvested and are rare. Is there an aquaculture hatchery possibility to bring them back?

anglingarchitect,

You are on topic for sure,  Abalone are marine gastropod molluscs or often called marine snails or sea snails. 

For sure, they don't taste like chicken!!!

What do they taste like???   Good question, they don't taste like any other seafood I've enjoyed.  In less you thinly slice the "foot" and then pound until the hard muscle relaxes, you'll be trying to eat expensive rubber!

But if done correctly, and quickly cooked in a hot pan, it will produce a rich and similar taste to calamari steak.  But again , it is a unique flavor to be enjoyed.

Yes, commercial raising of abalone is underway, but I've only enjoyed hand-caught abalone where the diver free dives to depths of 20 feet.

Best way to enjoy them is stop by Dominick's home and he prepares this feast like no one else.  Otherwise save your $$, stop by a high-end seafood restaurant, and enjoy the food. 

Wayne

[El Pescador]

Either way, nice sized abalone for sure.
Wayne

Ahem!     I cleaned the kitchen.  Dominick

Dominick,

I did not want to be rude and stop by, knowing Linda just returned from a week away from you, and I know how much you enjoy your private with her

So, I had to cook my own abalone last night and ate until my fill and finished the rest this morning with scrambled eggs before heading off to the office.  Next time for sure

Abalone anytime and anywhere, I'm in.

Wayne

[steelhead_killer]

Pound them, egg wash and Panko, fried in a cast iron skillet with bacon grease.... damn fine!

[Rancanfish]

I was gifted a decent sized one once.  I worked my butt off on that thing prepping it. 

Give me a 1/2 pound of shrimp in an Alfredo sauce with homemade noodles anytime.

[Swami805]

When I was young they had it almondine at some of the high end resturants in the SF bay area, man it was good. Once and a while a diver friend will bring me one and I try to go iron chef on it but have never been able to dial it in, still good though. I had a farm raised black one in a sushi bar recently, even sliced very thin it was like eating a rubber band. They fried the liver too which was tasty. Mixing it with eggs sounds good too. Bacon grease, magic!
When we went camping when we were kids we'd fry the trout whole in a skillet in bacon grease, knew they were done when they eye turned white. delicious!
I'll stop now, going to get something to eat

[anglingarchitect]

Anything like conch, you got to pound that to make it edible, but I think it's delicious.

[ChileRelleno]

Big Ab right there fo'sure.

I haven't had abalone since I was a kid, and my Grandpa would harvest them from the deeper tidal pools and rocks at Sunset Cliffs at Point Loma, San Diego, CA.  I still have a box of beautiful abalone shells I got from his house when he passed, he used them to make jewelry.

[El Pescador]

Big Ab right there fo'sure.

I haven't had abalone since I was a kid, and my Grandpa would harvest them from the deeper tidal pools and rocks at Sunset Cliffs at Point Loma, San Diego, CA.  I still have a box of beautiful abalone shells I got from his house when he passed, he used them to make jewelry.

Chile,

If you find yourself in the SF Bay Area, coming through SFO, let me know, and I will do my best to get some abalone for you to enjoy again!  CA Abalone season is from April to November - MINUS the month of July.

I know Dominick is always up for fresh abalone, and he prepares it just right.

Bring some of your armament, we'll do some plink'n.

Wayne