I’ve provided two great recipes that show case how delicious
silken tofu can be. I implore you even
if you are not an avid tofu fan, to try these dishes! They will surprise you
and make you think twice about the noble tofu.
The first is a recipe for Ma Po tofu which I have adapted
from Neil Perry’s cookbook ‘Balance and Harmony.’
Ingredients
-
1 packet silken tofu (you can buy this at your local Chinese grocer), cut into cubes
- Vegetable oil
- 200g pork mince (you can use any mince but I like to use pork belly as it adds richness to the dish)
- 2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
- 2 spring onions
- 2 heaped tablespoons hot bean paste (this is truly a magic ingredient and adds so much flavour – you can buy this from your local Chinese grocer)
- 50ml chicken stock
- 1 teaspoon shaoxing wine (you can use sherry instead)
- 1 teaspoon light soy sauce
- ½ dark soy sauce
- ½ teaspoon white sugar
- Pinch of salt
- Pinch of Sichuan pepper (crush the peppercorns just before use to get the best amount of flavour)
- ½ teaspoon of sesame oil
Method
Heat your work until it is very hot. At this point add the vegetable oil to coat
the wok. Add the minced pork. Stir fry the pork mince until it is golden brown.
Add the sliced garlic, spring onions and bean paste and mix well. Add the
chicken stock, shaoxing wine, light and dark soy sauce, sugar and salt and let
simmer for ten or so minutes. Once it
has been bought to the boil, add the cubed tofu and reduce to a simmer. At this point be careful not to over handle
the dish or you will be at risk of breaking up the tofu. Bring the saucepan of
the heat. Add the Sichuan pepper and sesame oil and serve immediately with
rice.
The second recipe is a Japanese favourite – Agedashi Tofu. I’ve often eaten this at Japanese restaurants
and always been drawn to its crunchy exterior and soft silky interior. The sauce is tangy and potent, enveloping the
tofu to create a truly delicious dish. I
learned how to make this recipe from my brother, who had made it recently for a
vegetarian party he was attending. It makes a great side dish or a perfect main
accompanied with steamed rice.
Ingredients
- 2 packets of silken tofu
- 1 heaped tablespoon of dashi paste (which you can buy from your local grocer) (see picture below)
- 1 spring onion
- 1 tablespoon light soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon mirin
- 1 tablespoon corn starch (mixed with 2 tablespoons water)
- 1 small nob of grated ginger
- Additional corn starch to dust tofu
- Vegetable Oil
- Pinch of salt
Method
Wrap tofu in paper towels for at least fifteen minutes to
draw out the excess water. While this is
being done you can start on the sauce.
In a small saucepan place the dashi paste, ginger, soy
sauce and mirin and bring to the boil. Add the corn starch and water mixture
and stir rapidly. Once dissolved take of the heat. Add the spring onions.
Cut the tofu into large squares and coat in the corn
starch. Be sure to add a pinch of salt to the corn starch mixture before you
start to coat the tofu pieces.
Heat oil and when hot deep fry the tofu pieces. It should
turn a golden brown colour. Drain on paper towels to absorb any extra oil.
Pour the sauce over the tofu and serve immediately.
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