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October 17, 2013Panfried Tofu with Pickled Ginger RecipeI’ve been grappling with this recipe for some time. It’stotally easy but the first time I made it a couple years ago, thinking that itwould be great for Asian Tofu, it was bleh. Mediocre tasting and not very special. Idropped it. Never would I put a recipe into a book that I didn’t like.
But I kept thinking about it, primarily because ginger pairswell with tofu in classics like Japanese chilled tofu with grated ginger andsoy sauce, or Chinese tofu pudding with ginger syrup. Then I came across anearly unused copy of FragrantHarbour Taste: The New Chinese Cooking of Hong Kong. Published in 1991,it was written by Ken Hom who was born in Chicago and is expert in Chinese foodand culture. He recorded some excellent recipes that evoke HongKong’s culinary scene at that time. Leafing through the cookbook, I came acrossa recipe for “stir-fried pickled ginger with bean curd.” Ah-ha, paydirt.
Hom’s recipe was a little funny because among usual imperialmeasurements, ingredients were also measure in “dessertspoons.” I had to lookthat up and the old-fashioned term refers to approximately 2 teaspoons. Thebook was published in the UK so maybe that was the style of recipe writingused. It was initially confusing but turned out to be a bit of trivia to keepin my back pocket. In Hom’s later works that I own, I’d not seen dessertspoons.
With a partially used block of leftover tofu in the fridge, Ihalved the recipe and used the homemade pickled ginger I’d prepared a while ago. Hom calls for a Chinese version of pickled ginger that includes garlic but the Japanese kind I'd made worked fine.
The little dish turned out remarkable – the tofu retained a crisp chewy textureand the ginger went from delicate to earthy, with a salty-sweetness from theseasonings. You’d think that the combination would dance with delicate flavorsbut it instead had satisfying gravitas. In other words, it had oomph.
I didn’t expect to eat it all but Idid. The tofu was part of a semi-healthy lunch along with a rawkale salad and a bowl of rice that I’d cooked with chicken fat.
Definitely add this to your tofu routine, making it foryourself or doubling it for 2 or 3 people.
Recipe
Panfried Tofu withPickled Ginger
Yield: 1 serving
Ingredients
8 ounces firm or extra-firm tofu1 tablespoon packed pickled ginger, homemadeor purchased1/8 teaspoon salt3/4 teaspoon sugar2 teaspoons Shaoxingrice wine 1 teaspoon regular soy sauce1 teaspoon dark soy sauce, or 3/4 teaspoonregular soy sauce plus 1/4 teaspoon dark molasses1 tablespoon chopped green onion, white andgreen part 1 tablespoon Canola or peanut oil1/2 teaspoon sesame oilInstructions
Cut the tofu in domino-like pieces. Transfer toa dry non-terry dishtowel or several layers of paper towel. Let drain for 10 to15 minutes.Meanwhile, cut the ginger into narrow ribbons(think dried linguine or banh pho/pad Thai rice noodles). In a small bowl, stirtogether the salt, sugar, rice wine, and both kinds of soy sauces. Taste andmake sure you like it, or tweak for a salty-sweet finish. Add the green onion.Set the ginger and liquid seasoning near the stove.Blot the tofu dry with paper towel. Heat amedium nonstick skillet or wok over medium-high heat. Swirl in the oil. Panfrythe tofu until golden and crisp on both sides, about 4 minutes total. Transferto a plate, leaving any oil behind. Lower the heat slightly, add the pickled ginger.Cook, stirring for about 30 seconds, until aromatic and heated through. Add theliquid seasonings and tofu. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes, stirring, until the tofu has absorbed most of theseasonings. Off heat, stir in the sesame oil to aromatize. Serve immediately.Related posts:
Salt and Pepper TofuTofu Frying TipsVWK tofu recipes are listed herePosted in Asian Tofu, Recipes: All, Recipes: Chinese, Recipes: Fast and Easy, Recipes: Gluten-Free Adaptable, Recipes: Main Course, Recipes: Stir-Fry, Recipes: Tofu, Recipes: Vegan, Recipes: Vegetarian | Permalink | |
| Comments Panfried Tofu with Pickled Ginger Recipe I’ve been grappling with this recipe for some time. It’stotally easy but the first time I made it a couple years ago, thinking that itwould be great for Asian Tofu, it was bleh. Mediocre tasting and not very special. Idropped it. Never would I put a recipe into a book that I didn’t like.
But I kept thinking about it, primarily because ginger pairswell with tofu in classics like Japanese chilled tofu with grated ginger andsoy sauce, or Chinese tofu pudding with ginger syrup. Then I came across anearly unused copy of FragrantHarbour Taste: The New Chinese Cooking of Hong Kong. Published in 1991,it was written by Ken Hom who was born in Chicago and is expert in Chinese foodand culture. He recorded some excellent recipes that evoke HongKong’s culinary scene at that time. Leafing through the cookbook, I came acrossa recipe for “stir-fried pickled ginger with bean curd.” Ah-ha, paydirt.
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Asian Tofu in the News"Informative, engaging, well written and researched, this is also the best book about tofu."— Winnie Yang, The Art of Eating
"A whole cookbook devoted to tofu? Yes, please."
— Kate Williams, Serious Eats 2012 Favorite Cookbooks
"Cooking with Tofu (Are You Serious?!)"
— Michael Rulhman on his tofu conversion
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