Recipe: hunan tofu
At the beginning of the week you’re tip-toeing across frozen goose poop-laden grasses an hour before sunrise and by the end of the week you’re dodging fancy co*cktails and flame throwers on a packed second floor of the Boulder Museum of Contemporary Art. Oh wait, that’s me. I was shooting the Boulder’s Best Mixologist competition on Sunday. Quite a change of scenery.
one of the sponsors
hapa sushi’s station was hopping
the gals from the kitchen were shaking things up
oak was on fire
No matter if I’m on the road in Middle-of-Nowhere or navigating the great eateries in Boulder, it doesn’t take long before I miss a home-cooked meal. That’s partly because I am a homebody and partly because I know how to cook. I hear of people getting bored with the same five meals each week and wonder to myself when was the last time I repeated a recipe at home? It seems there are always new recipes to discover and try.
ingredients: green onions, tofu, garlic, thai bird chiles, country ham
shaoxing cooking wine, dark soy sauce, sesame oil, black bean sauce, cornstarch, chicken broth
I have been on the lookout for a tofu recipe for several years. My grandma always ordered it when we went to dinner at Chef Chu’s in Palo Alto: tender tofu slices fried then simmered in a sauce with some salty country ham, a little heat, some black beans, garlic, and green onions. They called it Hunan Tofu. I scoured my recipe books, looked online, and chatted with Grandma on more than one occasion about what we thought might be the recipe, but nothing seemed to match.
helps to wear disposable gloves when handling the chiles
sliced and julienned
Until last week. I found a recipe that looked to be pretty much on target except for the fact that it was veganized. No problem, I un-veganized it and basically recreated the tofu dish that my Grandma and I shared together on so many visits. Our favorite. I added country ham the way Chef Chu’s does, but you can use pork or chicken or dried tofu strips if you like.
soak the ham in the chinese cooking wine
fry the tofu
The key is to get tender tofu that is firm enough to handle. If it’s too soft, it will fall apart and make a mess when you try to fry it. I hate deep-frying, but I’m getting better at it. What you should know about tofu if you haven’t fried it before is that it has considerable water content and makes a big fuss when you put it in hot oil. The best advice I can give is to let the tofu sit out for 15 minutes to drain off some water, then pat each piece dry before placing it in the oil. Or get a deep fat fryer? Just don’t handle the tofu for the first minute or so in the oil until the outer golden crust begins to form. I found that if you do, the tofu sticks to the tongs and breaks off in pieces.
add ham and black bean sauce to the aromatics
pour in the chicken broth
Frying the tofu is the hardest part. Once that is out of the way, everything else is like a typical stir-fry saucy thing. Sauté the aromatics in some oil, add the ham and black beans (I couldn’t find fermented black beans, so I used the black bean garlic sauce instead), stir in the liquids, thicken with cornstarch, add the tofu last. Barring the frying, the dish comes together in a matter of minutes.
add the cornstarch mixture
gently stir in the fried tofu pieces
And it comes pretty darn close to Chef Chu’s version. This dish is salty to begin with, but I think I will swap out the dark soy sauce for regular soy sauce next time as it was a little too salty. That could be because I used country ham which is like 400% of your daily recommended sodium intake. Just don’t be too enthusiastic with the soy sauce as it’s easier to add it than remove it (which you can’t). Hunan tofu goes well with a hot bowl of steamed rice.
hunan tofu
Hunan Tofu
[print recipe]
adapted from Notes from the Vegan Feast Kitchen
1/4 cup country ham, julienned
1 tbsp Chinese cooking wine
1 1/4 lb. (20 oz.) firm tofu, drained
2 tbsps vegetable oil
3 green onions, julienned
2 red Thai chiles, seeded and sliced thin
1 tbsp garlic, minced or sliced thin
3 tbsps Chinese black bean sauce or fermented black beans
1 cup chicken broth
1 tsp dark soy sauce
1/2 tsp sesame oil
1 tsp cornstarch
1 tbsp water
Mix the ham and sherry in a small bowl and set aside to soak. Cut the tofu into 1/2-inch thick slices. Pat the tofu dry and deep fry in hot oil – about 360°F. A few tricks about frying the tofu. Put one piece in at a time because it will bubble and boil quite a bit. I try to stagger the tofu by about a minute or two. Let the piece fry for at least a minute before turning it because if you touch it too early, the tofu will stick to your utensil and break off. That’s annoying. I found 2 minutes, a flip, and then another 2 minutes worked to give the tofu a nice golden exterior. Remove the tofu from the oil and drain on a paper towel. Heat 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil in a wok or a large saucepan over high heat. When the oil is hot, sauté the green onions, chiles, and garlic until fragrant – about a minute. Add the black bean sauce or fermented black beans, and the ham. Stir in the chicken broth, dark soy sauce, and sesame oil. Mix the cornstarch and water together in a small bowl. When the liquid begins to boil, pour the cornstarch mixture into the pan, reduce to a simmer and stir until it thickens. Add the fried tofu and gently stir to coat the tofu in the sauce. Simmer for three minutes. Serve hot with steamed rice. Makes 4 servings.
March 12th, 2012: 9:18 am
filed under chinese, dinner, meat, recipes, savory, spicy
FAQs
Press tofu and cube it. Coat it in garlic, black pepper, salt (plus more of your favourite seasonings), liquid aminos and some olive oil. Then mix it into some cornstarch and toss it all together, then bake for about 20 minutes. Cornstarch also helps to draw out excess moisture so it really gets the tofu crispy.
Can I use extra firm tofu instead of silken tofu? ›
Both silken and regular tofu can be found in soft, medium, firm, and extra-firm consistencies. They are made with the same ingredients, but they are processed slightly differently and are not interchangeable in a recipe.
How to make tofu? ›
Cook the raw soy milk, then strain out the soybean pulp. Bring the soy milk back up to temperature, then add a coagulant to curdle the soymilk. Transfer the soybean curds into a tofu mold and apply pressure to form your block of tofu. Firm up the tofu in cool water, then it's ready to enjoy!
What is the food item tofu? ›
Tofu, or bean curd, is a popular food derived from soya. It is made by curdling fresh soya milk, pressing it into a solid block and then cooling it, in much the same way that traditional dairy cheese is made by curdling and solidifying milk.
What not to mix with tofu? ›
What to not serve with tofu? According to studies, a high volume consumption of tofu and spinach together can increase your risk of kidney stones. Tofu and spinach contain calcium and oxalic acid respectively and the combined can form kidney stones.
What is the secret to cooking tofu? ›
Press it. Tofu contains a lot of water, and you'll want to squeeze most of it out, especially if you're baking, grilling, or frying it. I recommend using a tofu press to do this, because it gives the tofu a delicious chewy texture and makes cleanup a breeze. But having one isn't necessary.
What is the difference between tofu and silken tofu? ›
The texture is determined by the water content in the tofu. The more water, the softer or 'silkier' the tofu; with less water, the tofu is firmer. Tofu is categorized as silken, regular, firm, extra-firm and super-firm. Silken, the softest type of tofu, can be compared to a young white cheese.
Which tofu is better firm or extra firm? ›
When pan-frying tofu, choose firm or extra-firm tofu. The former may take a little longer to pan-fry because it has more moisture, but pan-fried firm tofu absorbs flavors well simply because it's not as dense as extra-firm tofu.
What firmness of tofu is best? ›
Firm Tofu: The most popular firmness for tofu beginners! The curds are tight and visible. Holds up well to frying and grilling. Best use: Stir fry, pan fried, deep fried, baked, scrambled or any meat alternative option in any meals.
How is Chinese tofu made? ›
Tofu is made from dried soybeans that are soaked in water, crushed, and boiled. The mixture is separated into solid pulp (okara) and soy “milk.” Salt coagulants, such as calcium and magnesium chlorides and sulfates, are added to the soy milk to separate the curds from the whey.
Cut tofu into cubes. Step 2: Place those cubes in a bowl, and toss gently with 1-2 tablespoons of cornstarch. Step 3: Arrange tofu on a parchment-lined baking sheet and drizzle with some olive oil and salt. Step 4: Bake at 425 degrees for 25 minutes, or until as crispy as you'd like.
What are five ways to prepare tofu? ›
Here are 9 tasty ways to prepare tofu next time you're feeling hungry.
- 1 Fry it. Sweet or savory, most foods can be exponentially improved when fried. ...
- 2 Scramble it. Tofu has the ability to miraculously mimic scrambled eggs when prepared correctly. ...
- 3 Sautée it. ...
- 4 Marinate it. ...
- 5 Grill it. ...
- 6 Bread it. ...
- 7 Crumble it. ...
- 8 Soup it.
Mapo Tofu is a classic Sichuan dish that is a combination of spicy, mouth-numbingly tingly, and savory meat sauce cooked with cubes of tofu – there's nothing like it and it's one of the most delicious dishes in the world!
What is tofu on a Chinese menu? ›
Tofu is also known as bean curd in English. It is a traditional component of East Asian and Southeast Asian cuisines that has also been consumed in China for over 2,000 years. In modern Western cooking, it is most often treated as a meat substitute.
What is the English name for tofu? ›
Tofu (豆腐), sometimes called doufu (usually used in Chinese recipes) or bean curd (literal translation), is a food made from soybeans. In fact, it is a very complex process. Tofu is made by coagulating soy milk into curds.
How do you make tofu taste less bland? ›
Place the Tofu cubes in a large glass bowl, then drizzle 1 tbsp of Tamari over them. Now that the Tofu has been pressed, it's much more likely to absorb the Tamari flavor (and taste less bland).
What is the best way to eat tofu for the first time? ›
Pan-frying is the easiest, least fussy way to cook up a batch of ultra-crispy cubes of tofu. After pressing and draining as much liquid from the block as possible, cut the tofu into cubes, sticks, or wedges, then toss it with cornstarch until all the pieces are well-coated.
What can I marinate tofu in? ›
In a mixing bowl or measuring cup with a spout, whisk together the marinade: soy sauce, maple syrup, rice vinegar, olive oil, sesame oil, garlic powder, smoked paprika, ginger, and Sriracha. Drizzle over the tofu. If any pieces look bare, turn them over in the marinade a few times so all of the sides are coated.
How to remove stink from tofu? ›
To reduce the smell before cooking, you can rinse the tofu under cold water and pat it dry before frying it. You can also marinate in your preferred marinade and grill it over high heat. Once cooked, stinky tofu will have a mild flavor and creamy on the inside, crispy on the outside texture.
Recipe: hunan tofu
