Abalone is a large shelled gastropod (shell fish) with highly prized meat. Abalone fishing is highly restricted and the product is very costly. The wild gastropod must only be hand harvested by divers. There is some farm-raised abalone available.
Abalone meat is normally pounded to tenderize then lightly sauteed and served with butter. There is a well-known mock version of abalone called scalone and it's prepared with calamari steaks rather than abalone.
Pan Fried Abalone - A traditional method for pan fried abalone. Mock Abalone Recipe - This recipe uses chicken breast instead of abalone but claims to approximate the taste.
If you don't have Abalone you can substitute either of these alternatives