Name: Red-Cooked Tofu
Ingredients: 1 pound firm tofu; 2 cups vegetable oil; 2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced; 2 ounces ground pork (optional); ½ ounce dried shiitake mushrooms, rehydrated (see note), stemmed, and halved; ¼ cup thinly sliced fresh or canned bamboo shoots (drained if canned); ¼ cup Shaoxing cooking wine; 1 tablespoon dark soy sauce; 1 teaspoon soy sauce; 1 teaspoon sugar; ¼ teaspoon ground white pepper; 1 teaspoon tapioca starch; 1 scallion, julienned

Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Lillian Chou

This red-cooked tofu is another Chinese comfort dish that is served in many homes. It is made with a little bit of ground pork, which can be eliminated to turn it into a vegetarian dish.

Editor’s note: If you are skipping the pork, feel free to increase the amount of dried shiitake mushrooms.

Cooks' Note:

Many different types of dried mushrooms—such as shiitake, king oyster, bamboo pith, and tea plant—can be gradually rehydrated by soaking in cold water. It will likely take 1–2 hours to completely rehydrate these mushrooms. But boiling water can expedite the process without greatly affecting the quality. The liquor from the soaking has an intense mushroom flavor and can be strained and then used in place of water in dishes that include these mushrooms as ingredients. Wood ear mushrooms come in black and white varieties and are shipped dried globally. Cut off the tough woody root end after rehydrating in cold water, which should take only 15–20 minutes.

Ingredients

1 pound firm tofu

2 cups vegetable oil

2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced

2 ounces ground pork (optional)

½ ounce dried shiitake mushrooms, rehydrated (see note), stemmed, and halved

¼ cup thinly sliced fresh or canned bamboo shoots (drained if canned)

¼ cup Shaoxing cooking wine

1 tablespoon dark soy sauce

1 teaspoon soy sauce

1 teaspoon sugar

¼ teaspoon ground white pepper

1 teaspoon tapioca starch

1 scallion, julienned

Preparation

Step 1
Cut the tofu blocks into 1-inch squares that are ½-inch thick. Pat dry with a paper towel.
Step 2
Heat the vegetable oil in a wok over high heat until it is just beginning to smoke, about 395°F. In two batches, deep-fry the tofu pieces until a brown skin forms on the outside, about 5 minutes. Use a skimmer to transfer the tofu to a paper-towel-lined plate.
Step 3
Remove all but 2 tablespoons of the vegetable oil from the wok. Add the garlic to the wok and stir-fry until it is fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the pork and continue to stir-fry for another 30 seconds or until it is completely cooked.
Step 4
Add the shiitake mushrooms, bamboo shoots, 1½ cups water, the wine, both soy sauces, sugar, and pepper to the wok and bring the liquid to a boil.
Step 5
Put the tofu in a saucepan and pour the contents of the wok over the tofu. Bring the liquid to a boil, then cover and braise the tofu over medium heat for about 10 minutes, until the tofu has absorbed the flavor.
Step 6
In a small bowl, mix the tapioca starch with 2 tablespoons water to make a slurry. Stir this into the braising broth and cook until the broth has thickened, about 1 minute. Serve the tofu garnished with the julienned scallion.

Cookbook cover of Phoenix Claws and Jade Trees by Kian Lam Kho.

Copyright © 2015 Phoenix Claws and Jade Trees by Kian Lam Kho. Photographs copyright © 2015 by Jody Horton. Published by Clarkson Potter, an imprint of Penguin Random House. Buy the full book from Penguin Random House, Bookshop, or Amazon.