Soft-Braised Tofu
Boshan tofu is caramelized with sugar for color, then slow-simmered until glossy red, silky, and sweet.
Ingredients
Boshan tofu
750 g
MSG
2 g
Sichuan peppercorns
16
sugar
100 g
shredded scallion and ginger
5 g
Sichuan peppercorn oil
5 g
Shaoxing wine
5 g
soy sauce
15 g
clear broth
150 g
sesame oil
50 g
Instructions
1
Step 1
Steam the tofu in a steamer until thoroughly cooked, then peel off the yellow skin on all four sides and cut into 2 cm cubes. Place the cubes in a pot of warm water and simmer over low heat; when they float to the surface, remove and drain well.
2
Step 2
Add sesame oil to a wok over medium heat and warm until about 60% hot. Add the Sichuan peppercorns and briefly fry until they turn yellow, then remove and discard them. Add 25 g of sugar, switch to low heat, and stir-fry until the sugar turns red. Add the tofu and toss to coat evenly. Once the tofu is colored, add the shredded scallion, shredded ginger, soy sauce, Shaoxing wine, MSG, clear broth, and the remaining 75 g of sugar. Simmer over low heat, shaking the wok frequently to prevent scorching on the bottom. When the tofu turns a jujube red and the sauce has thickened to a glaze, drizzle in the Sichuan peppercorn oil and serve.
