Huai-Style Fish with Dried Tofu Shreds
Cut white dried tofu into shreds and soak to remove the beany odor, then simmer with fried eel back meat and chicken skin in a rich stock for a tender, fresh, and richly fragrant dish.
Ingredients
White dried tofu (cut into fine shreds, soak in hot water for 2 hours and change the water, drain after removing the beany taste)
500g
Fresh live small eel back meat (fried until moisture is removed)
250g
Cooked chicken skin (cut into small diamond-shaped pieces)
50g
Raw oil (for frying the eel back meat)
800g (approx. 70g actually used)
Yellow wine (Shaoxing wine)
15g
Scallions
10g
Ginger
10g
Salt
6g
Rich broth (used in two parts, 250g each)
500g
MSG (mentioned in the steps, not listed in the ingredients)
Instructions
1
Prepare the Ingredients
Cut the dried tofu into fine shreds with a knife, place in a large bowl, and soak in hot water for 2 hours (during this time, change the water 2–3 times, using chopsticks to separate the shreds each time to prevent them from sticking together and to remove the beany taste), then remove and drain. Cut the chicken skin into small diamond-shaped pieces and set aside.
2
Braise the Eel
Place the eel back meat into a wok heated with cooked lard and fry until the moisture is removed, then transfer to a clean wok. Add 250g of rich broth, cooking wine, scallions, and ginger, and braise on low heat for 10 minutes until the eel becomes tender, then remove.
3
Final Braising
Place 250g of rich broth, dried tofu shreds, eel shreds, and chicken skin into the wok and heat through, braising for about 5 minutes. Add MSG and salt, braise thoroughly, then serve.
