RED-COOKED TOFU

Red-Cooked Tofu image

Provided by Kian Lam Kho

Number Of Ingredients 13

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

Steps:

Cut the tofu blocks into 1-inch squares that are ½-inch thick. Pat dry with a paper towel.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.