Braised Hot and Sour Dried Tofu Shreds
A traditional Northeastern Chinese soup dish featuring shredded dried tofu braised with wood ear mushrooms and bamboo shoot slices in a hot and sour, refreshing broth.
Ingredients
white dried tofu (washed, sliced into thin sheets then into fine shreds)
200 g
hydrated wood ear mushrooms (washed and shredded)
25 g
bamboo shoot slices (shredded, can substitute with yulan slices)
25 g
scallion shreds
10 g
ginger shreds
10 g
cilantro (added at the end)
a pinch
water chestnut starch (for thickening)
20 g
fine salt
to taste
white pepper
a pinch
soy sauce
25 g
vinegar (added at the end)
50 g
sesame oil (drizzled at the end)
10 g
stock (as broth base)
600 g
Instructions
1
Shredding
Wash the dried tofu, first slice into thin sheets then into fine shreds, the finer the better; shred the wood ear mushrooms and bamboo shoots as well, and place together with the scallion and ginger shreds.
2
Braising
Bring the stock to a boil in a pot, add the dried tofu shreds, wood ear shreds, bamboo shoot shreds, scallion and ginger shreds, salt, soy sauce, and white pepper; once evenly combined, bring back to a rolling boil, skim off any foam, stir in the water chestnut starch slurry to create a large flowing thickener, add the vinegar, ladle into a soup bowl, drizzle with sesame oil, and sprinkle with cilantro to finish.
