A chef once told me to āwork smart, not hard,ā an ethos Iāve tried to keep in mind whenever Iām in the kitchen. I gravitate toward low-effort and high-reward cooking and seek out meals that can easily be repurposed into something else. Think roast chicken that can then be added to congee, a big batch of tomato sauce to toss with pasta or to serve as the base of a soup, or this Chinese braising broth which is used not once but over and over again.
This broth is the base of a braising technique called flavor-potting (āluā in Mandarin) that hails from Chaozhou Province, where flavor-potted goose and tofu is a specialty. What distinguishes flavor-potting from other slow-cooking methods is the broth it calls for, which is referred to as āthe master sauceā in China. Made with rice wine, Shaoxing cooking wine (an especially flavorful, savory wine, also made from rice), soy sauce, sugar, and an assortment of warm spicesāincluding star anise, whole cloves, black cardamom, and cassia barkāthe broth is deeply fragrant, straddling the line between a savory sauce and a sweet, spiced tea.
According to Kho, author of the regional Chinese cookbook Phoenix Claws and Jade Trees, famous shops and restaurants known for their flavor-potting in China āpride themselves on the age of their braising broth, cooking with a ācentury-old brothā that has been passed down for generations in their family kitchen.ā During cooking more chicken stock, soy sauce, or water is added to replenish the evaporated liquid, and the cycle goes on. Although not fermented, the master stock is not unlike old sourdough starters or vinegar mothers, or even the solera system used to age sherry, with each new batch carrying some of its past incarnations.
Throughout my childhood my parents almost always had a pot of master stock in the fridge, which they kept on hand for easy, versatile dinners. We could always rely on flavor-potting for a quick lunch or minimal-effort dinner. Sometimes itād be eggs boiled in the master stock, and other times itād be tofu or poultry, served alongside rice and some steamed vegetables. If we ate at a Chaozhou restaurant, weād order goose or other slices of meat that had been braised in the sauceāitems we didnāt typically cook at home.
Kho notes it is most common to flavor-pot ātough cuts of meat such as pork or beef shank, pigās feet, beef tendon, and chicken or duck feet,ā as well as innards, gizzards, tofu, poultry, and peanuts. Although not traditional, heartier root vegetables like carrots, parsnips, and turnips would be delicious, too. After the food is cooked and served, the broth is strained, cooled, and kept chilled. With each use, fresh spices are added and the brothās flavor deepens. To ensure the broth stays fresh, it is vital to bring it to a boil once a month, or to store it in the freezer until its next use.
I wasnāt quite ready to sacrifice precious fridge space for a whole goose during a pandemic, but a block of firm tofu was perfectly doable. It had been years since Iād had any kind of flavor-potted food; under the false impression that it was difficult and time-consuming to make, I only ever ate it when I visited my family. Donning an apron and rolling up my sleeves, I was pleasantly surprised to discover how straightforward it wasāa process even simpler than the easiest weeknight braise. I followed Khoās guidance and fried ginger, garlic, scallions, and lemongrass, and when they were browned and fragrant, I added the rest of the sauce ingredients: chicken broth, soy sauce, wine, sugar, and the spices.
While the sauce simmered, I turned my attention to the tofu. Thanks to Kho, I learned that the secret to getting tofu evenly golden brown was to deep-fry it at 395ĀŗF for a full five minutes. After the tofu has browned and drained on paper towels, it goes back into the pan with the broth and simmers for 30 minutes. It's left to marinate a bit, and then served at room temperature.
Khoās sauce was delicious and deeply flavored even on its first use, but I know that it will only improve with time. As I strained my stock to store in the fridge, I was already looking forward to the next time Iād simmer it. If the best kind of cooking is all about working smart and not hard, then I canāt think of a more clever technique. After all, youāre making a broth once and setting yourself up for, well, forever.
