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Yesterday, I gave you a noodle recipe to use as part of a Chinese dinner, and today I'm going to give you a tofu dish.
This recipe contains a small amount of pork, but you can omit that if you are vegetarian and it is still a tasty dish. I had medium-firm tofu, rather than firm, so I put it between two plates and weighted it for about 20 minutes and drained off the excess water. I also have yet to find Shaoxing wine, so I always just substitute whatever alcohol I happen to have on hand. This time, I used dry vermouth, but I have used sherry, whiskey, and wine in the past-it's a bit of a free-for-all. I used the little Thai bird's eye chilies, which are extremely hot, so I seeded them and left them whole so I could just spoon them out when the dish was finished. You can get fermented black beans at Asian markets.I have never managed to get my fried tofu to have the beautiful golden colour that is shown in the photo. I don't know if I don't let the oil get hot enough, or if I don't cook it long enough, but it is always anemic-looking. If anyone has any suggestions, I'd love to hear them.
Peng's Homestyle Bean Curd
Serves 2-3
3 oz boneless lean pork, thinly sliced
1 tsp Shaoxing wine
1/2 tsp salt
1 block firm bean curd (tofu) drained
3 scallions, green parts only
2 fresh red chilies, seeds removed
1 tbsp finely chopped garlic
3 tbsp fermented black beans
1 cup chicken or vegetable stock
1/2 tsp soy sauce
3/4 tsp potato flour or corn starch mixed with 1 tbsp cold water
1/2 tsp sesame oil
peanut oil for frying
1. Put the pork in a bowl with the wine and salt and mix well. Set aside.
2. Cut the bean curd into slices about 1/2 inch thick. Cut the scallion in diagonal pieces.
3. In a wok, heat the oil until it reaches 350-400°F. Add the tofu in batches and fry until the slices are just tinged with gold; drain and set aside on paper towels.
4. Pour off the oil, reserving 3 tbsp. Reheat the wok, add the reserved oil. Add the garlic and chilies, and sizzle for a few seconds until fragrant. Add the pork, and as it becomes pale, throw in the black beans and stir constantly. When all is hot and fragrant, pour in the stock, add the tofu and the soy sauce, and bring to a boil.
5. Reduce the heat and simmer for a few minutes until the tofu is heated through. Taste for salt.
6. Add the potato flour or cornstarch mixture and stir as the liquid thickens. Stir in the scallion greens. Off the heat, stir in the sesame oil.
From Revolutionary Chinese Cookbook by Fuchsia Dunlop (2007, W.W. Norton)
Difficulty level: Easy
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