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Available at: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, iBooksRecent PostsPan-Seared Egg Tofu "Scallops" with Sweet Chile Sauce RecipeFarewell 2011, Hello Year of the Dragon!Chinese Pigs in Blanket RecipeDeviled Sriracha Crab Rangoon RecipeDad’s Other Holy Trinity: Tiger Balm, Eucalyptus Oil, and ToothpicksGluten-Free Bun Trilogy: Dough, Baked Buns, Steamed BunsGluten-Free Baked Buns (Bao) RecipeGluten-Free Steamed Bun (Bao) Recipe2011 Cookbooks Pushing the Asian Envelope: Indochine, Bill’s Everyday Asian, Tender, PlentyMaggi Seasoning Sauce Substitutes: Mainstream, Gluten-Free, and MSG-Free OptionsAwards + Praise
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« Farewell 2011, Hello Year of the Dragon! |Main
January 02, 2012Pan-Seared Egg Tofu "Scallops" with Sweet Chile Sauce Recipe
Welcome to 2012! As you may know, I’ve been preoccupied with tofu. My obsession has mostly been with the kind made from soybeans – the typical stuff eaten by countless people in Asia and beyond. But "tofu" is also a generic term used to describe a wide range of jelled and solidified foods in the Chinese repertoire. For example, some Chinese cookbooks use “almond tofu” to denote the sweet almond–flavored dessert solidified with seaweed-based agar agar. (In the Viet mindset, that’s a type of thach/jelly.) Burmese tofu, also called Shan tofu, is made like polenta with ground beans and water. Japanese sesame tofu is delicate and divine; find out more about goma dofu from Just Hungry.
Then there’s egg tofu that comes in a tube. It looks like a tiny torpedo and feels like a filled balloon in its plastic casing. Sold at Chinese markets, egg tofu is made with eggs and soymilk, with an eggy richness that prevails. Egg tofu is popular with my Taiwanese and Hong Kong friends, who enjoy it simply fried and bathed in sauce.
Unlike regular (all soybean-based) tofu, you don't see tons of egg tofu at Asian markets. There would be tons of competition if it were a super popular food! In fact, the only brand that I’ve bought in Northern California comes from Canada:
The label claims that Mandarin Soyfoods (owned by Sunrise Soya) is the original egg tofu maker. (Anyone know about that?)
If you see egg tofu at an Asian market, give it a whirl with a recipe like this one. My inspiration came from Sea Harbour Seafood Restaurant, a dim sum hot spot in the Chinese-centric San Gabriel Valley/Monterey Park area east of downtown Los Angeles. We went there last week for lunch. The dumplings were well crafted but the standout dim sum dish of the day was deep-fried egg tofu with sweet chile sauce.
The scallop-shaped pieces were custardy and savory, while the sauce was tangy-sweet with a touch of heat. We were so bowled over that I had to recreate when we got home. Funnily enough, yours truly did not have enough oil to deep-fry so I pan-seared the tofu instead – like you would a scallop. It turned out great and was super fast and easy to boot!
RECIPE
Pan-Seared Egg Tofu Scallops with Sweet Chile Sauce
Serves 2 as a snack or side dish
One 8.64 ounce package egg tofu
About 1 tablespoon canola oil
About 2 teaspoons cornstarch
Thai Sweet Chile Sauce, homemade or store bought
1 tablespoon scallion rings, green part only
1. Cut the package on the dotted line and then remove the tofu from the plastic. Cut it into 1-inch-thick rounds.
Trim the uneven ends so they are more or less flat, which makes them easier to cook. Put on a double layer of paper towel to drain for 5 to 10 minutes.
2. Heat a small nonstick skillet over high heat. Pour in enough oil to film the bottom. Blot the tofu pieces dry and then dip the cut ends in a bit of cornstarch.
Pan-fry the tofu for 1 to 2 minutes per side, until golden brown. Reduce the heat if the pan smokes.
While the tofu fries, put about 2 tablespoons of Thai sweet chile sauce on a small serving plate. Sprinkle about 2 teaspoons of the scallion rings on top.
When the tofu finishes pan-frying, transfer the pieces to the serving plate. Top with a little more sweet chile sauce and the leftover scallion. Serve immediately.
Familiar with Chinese egg tofu? What do you do with it? Or, how have you had it served?
Posted in Asian Tofu, Recipes: All, Recipes: Appetizer and Snack, Recipes: Chinese, Recipes: Fast and Easy, Recipes: Gluten-Free , Recipes: Poultry and Eggs, Recipes: Tofu, Recipes: Vegetarian | Permalink | | Comments
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Looks wonderful! Haven't noticed egg tofu in the markets herer near Washington, DC but I'll be on the lookout now. Thanks!
Posted by:Debra Hartmann |January 03, 2012 at 03:03 AM
Happy New Year! Nice to see you back. I've never had egg tofu, but I need to try it now and will look for it in my Asian market here in the Boston area.
Posted by:Laura |January 03, 2012 at 03:57 AM
Wow nice and looks very tasty. You bring water on my tongue.
Posted by:super sale |January 03, 2012 at 06:58 AMHappy 2012! Hope you had a great holiday season.
Posted by:Andrea Nguyen |January 03, 2012 at 09:19 AM
This looked so good that I went straight to New May Wah on Clement Street (I'm in San Francisco) and picked up three packages. I too have never heard of egg tofu, and I'm thankful that I could show your picture on my phone of the package to the store employees because I don't speak Chinese. I'm making this tonight --can't wait!
Posted by:Sun |January 03, 2012 at 11:50 AM
Love tofu, and really love the egg tofu. Thanks for sharing this - it will be on my "try it out" list! Our go-to restaurant here in the northwest steams it with soy-based sauce, chopped up gai lan stems and char siu bits. Those are extras, we love the egg tofu, and usually order for each family dinner.
Posted by:wenders |January 03, 2012 at 11:55 AM
We like to do something similar with the egg tofu "scallops" and just top it with sauteed garlic.
Here's something more fancy that we did with the egg tofu: steamed and topped with ground pork and shrimp:
http://www.houseofannie.com/steamed-egg-tofu-ground-pork-shrimp/
Posted by:Nate @ House of Annie |January 03, 2012 at 04:36 PM
This is so interesting...never seen the product, but what a good way to make "mock" scallops!
Posted by:Amy |January 03, 2012 at 07:31 PMNever seen this! I will have to check out 99R to see if they have it.
Posted by:Diane |January 05, 2012 at 10:29 AM Verify your Comment Previewing your CommentPosted by: |This is only a preview. Your comment has not yet been posted.
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