Pan-fried Tofu
Pan-fry the tofu until golden and crisp, then braise with sliced pork, bamboo shoots, and other ingredients until the sauce reduces to a thick, flavorful glaze.
Ingredients
tofu (cut into large blocks, drained, sliced into 1cm thick, 3cm long, 2.5cm wide pieces, blanched in boiling water)
300g
bamboo shoot slices
25g
dried shiitake mushroom slices
5g
pork slices
25g
dark soy sauce
1.5g
salt
1.5g
MSG
1.5g
scallion segments
a pinch
lard
50g
white stock
300ml
Instructions
1
Initial Preparation
Cut the tofu into large blocks, place on a board for 3 hours to drain off the water. Slice with a knife into 1cm thick pieces, then cut into 3cm long, 2.5cm wide blocks. Drop into a pot of boiling water to blanch briefly. Remove with a slotted spoon, drain off the water, and eliminate the yellow alkaline smell and bland taste.
2
Pan-frying the Tofu
Heat a wok, lubricate it with oil, then add 400g of oil over high heat until it reaches 80% hot (blue smoke appears). Push the tofu pieces one by one along the edge of the wok to arrange them in a row. Shake the wok to fry the tofu until a firm, golden-brown crust forms. Flip each piece to fry the other side until firm. Remove from the wok and pour off the oil.
3
Braising
Add soy sauce, salt, MSG, sugar, scallion segments, 25g lard, and white stock. Place shiitake, bamboo shoots, and pork slices beside the tofu. Bring to a boil, then move to low heat, cover, and braise until the sauce thickens and the flavors penetrate the tofu.
4
Reducing the Sauce and Plating
Return to high heat to reduce and thicken the sauce. While holding and rotating the wok, drizzle 25g of lard along the edge of the wok. Rotate until the sauce clings tightly to the tofu and foams. Remove from the wok and transfer to a serving bowl. Place the pork slices, shiitake, and bamboo shoot slices on top.
