[TunaHead]

Reel,
Abalone are actually a marine snail. They have one large shell that covers their body. There are 7 different species off the CA coast but only one, the red abalone, is legal to take. Minimum size is 7" in diameter. The record is near 12". We call the big ones hubcaps.

Most of the inside of the shell is taken up by a single large muscle that they use to suck onto the rock. We pop them off the rocks with a flat metal bar (aka: ab iron). Surprise is the name of the game cuz if you bump them even slightly they clamp down in about half a second and there is no way pry them off (remember, this is free diving so no tanks).

Because there is only one attatchment spot in the shell for the muscle the muscle fibers criss-cross in every direction rather than running parallel like in mamals. The meat is firm and often feels like a slightly rubbery hockey puck at first. You have to slice it, take a mallet and show 'em who's boss. Afterwards the thin flat steak is breaded and fried or (my favorite) wrapped around a bit of avocado and jack cheese, closed with toothpicks, coated with bread crumbs and fried.

TH