Braised Firm Tofu with Winter Mushrooms and Bamboo Shoots
A traditional Jiangsu braised dish, this recipe stews aged tofu alongside winter bamboo shoots and winter shiitake mushrooms. It features a golden-red hue, rich, savory tofu with deep braising broth flavor, and crisp-tender bamboo shoots and mushrooms.
Ingredients
Firm tofu (placed in cold water with salt and boiled until porous, soaked to remove the beany flavor, old skin sliced off, cut into blocks)
200 g
Winter bamboo shoots (sliced)
20 g
Rehydrated winter mushrooms
15 g
Raw chicken meat (used together with chicken bones and pork bones)
50 g
Cooked ham
15 g
Salt
7 g
Shaoxing wine
10 g
Soy sauce
15 g
Rendered pork fat
20 g
Instructions
1
Blanching
Place the raw chicken meat, chicken bones, and pork bones into a pot of boiling water to blanch, then remove and rinse clean.
2
Preparing the tofu
Place the tofu in a pot of cold water, add salt and bring to a boil. Reduce to medium heat and simmer until the tofu becomes porous and floats to the surface, then transfer to clean water to soak and remove the beany flavor. Drain, slice off the old skin, cut into blocks, and arrange on a plate.
3
Layering
Take a clay pot and place the chicken meat, ham shank, chicken bones, and pork bones at the bottom. Lay the firm tofu on top, pour in pork broth, and add Shaoxing wine, salt, and soy sauce.
4
Slow braising
Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce to low heat. Add rendered pork fat and simmer until the broth thickens. Remove from heat and fish out the chicken meat, ham, and bones.
5
Second braising
Transfer the tofu along with its broth into another clay pot, place sliced winter bamboo shoots and winter mushrooms on top. Return to a boil over high heat, drizzle in rendered pork fat, and briefly simmer before serving.
