Stuffed Tofu

Blocks of tofu hollowed and packed with a springy fish paste, fried on the cut face only and then braised.

Pork, Fish, Egg, Tofu. Not vegetarian — contains chicken stock, fish, oyster sauce, pork.

Ingredients

For the paste

• 250 g white fish fillet, skinned and boned
• 100 g pork mince
• 1 egg white
• 2 tablespoons cornflour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1 teaspoon white pepper
• 3 tablespoons iced water
• 2 spring onions, very finely chopped

The rest

• 4 blocks firm tofu, about 600 g
• 3 tablespoons flavourless oil
• 300 ml chicken stock
• 2 tablespoons oyster sauce
• 1 tablespoon light soy sauce
• 2 teaspoons cornflour in 2 tablespoons water

Method

1. THE PASTE IS BEATEN UNTIL IT BOUNCES, and that is a texture rather than a flavour. Fish and pork chopped and stirred are a soft mince that crumbles out of the tofu in the pan; beaten hard with iced water and then THROWN against the bowl thirty times, the proteins link up and the filling turns springy and holds together. There is no shortcut and a food processor does not do it.
2. THE TOFU IS FRIED ON THE CUT FACE ONLY. The filling browns and seals against the pan; the tofu's own faces stay pale and soft. Turning it to brown all over gives four leathery sides and a dish that cannot take up any sauce.
3. Fish patted very dry and chopped to a rough paste with a heavy knife, or pulsed briefly.
4. Fish, pork, egg white, cornflour, salt, sugar and pepper in a bowl. Stirred hard in one direction 3 minutes, with the iced water added a spoonful at a time.
5. Now lift the whole mass and throw it back into the bowl. Thirty times. It will change from a soft mince to something glossy that holds a peak. Spring onions folded in last.
6. Covered and chilled 30 minutes.
7. Tofu blocks halved into triangles. A pocket cut in the long cut side of each with a small knife, going about two thirds of the way in WITHOUT breaking the far side or the corners.
8. The inside dusted very lightly with cornflour -- it is what the filling grips -- then packed with paste, mounded slightly proud of the cut.
9. Oil in a wide pan over medium heat. The pieces in FILLING SIDE DOWN, 4 to 5 minutes, until the paste is browned and firm and lifts cleanly. Do not move them before it does.
10. Turned once onto their backs. Stock, oyster sauce and soy poured around them, not over.
11. Lid on, simmered gently 8 minutes.
12. The pieces lifted out, the cornflour slurry stirred into the sauce for 1 minute, and the sauce spooned over.

Our own recipe. This one was written for this site rather than taken from anywhere, so there is no source to point you at. The quantities and the order of the steps are choices, not the only way to do it.

Filed under China · All recipes