Red-Cooked Tofu With Chinese Mushrooms Recipe
Ingredients
| 225 g/8 oz firm tofu | ||
| 45 ml/3 tbsp dark soy sauce | ||
| 30 ml/2 tbsp Chinese rice wine or dry sherry | ||
| 10 ml/2 tsp soft dark brown sugar | ||
| Garlic | 1 Clove (5gm), crushed | |
| 15 ml/1 tbsp grated fresh root ginger | ||
| Five spice powder | 2.5 Milliliter | |
| Pinch of ground roasted Szechuan peppercorns | ||
| 6 dried Chinese black mushrooms | ||
| 5 ml/1 tsp cornflour | ||
| 30 ml/2 tbsp groundnut oil | ||
| 5-6 spring onions, sliced into 2.5 cm/1 in lengths, white and green parts separated | ||
| Small fresh basil leaves, to garnish | ||
| Rice noodles, to serve | ||
Directions
1. Drain the tofu, pat dry with kitchen paper and cut into 2.5cm/ in cubes. Place in a shallow dish. In a small bowl, mix together the soy sauce, rice wine or sherry, sugar, garlic, ginger, five-spice powder and Szechuan peppercorns. Pour the marinade over the tofu, toss well and leave to marinate for about 30 minutes. Drain, reserving the marinade.
2. Meanwhile soak the dried black mushrooms in warm water for 20-30 minutes until soft. Drain, reserving 90ml/6 tbsp of the soaking liquid. Squeeze out any excess liquid from the mushrooms, remove the tough stalks and slice the caps. In a small bowl, blend the cornflour with the reserved marinade and mushroom soaking liquid.
3. Heat a wok until hot, add the oil and swirl it around. Add the tofu and stir-fry for 2-3 minutes until evenly golden. Remove from the wok and set aside.
4. Add the mushrooms and white parts of the spring onions to the wok and stir-fry for 2 minutes. Pour in the marinade mixture and stir for 1 minute until thickened.
5. Return the tofu to the wok with the green parts of the spring onions. Simmer gently for 1-2 minutes. Scatter over the basil leaves and serve at once with rice noodles.
2. Meanwhile soak the dried black mushrooms in warm water for 20-30 minutes until soft. Drain, reserving 90ml/6 tbsp of the soaking liquid. Squeeze out any excess liquid from the mushrooms, remove the tough stalks and slice the caps. In a small bowl, blend the cornflour with the reserved marinade and mushroom soaking liquid.
3. Heat a wok until hot, add the oil and swirl it around. Add the tofu and stir-fry for 2-3 minutes until evenly golden. Remove from the wok and set aside.
4. Add the mushrooms and white parts of the spring onions to the wok and stir-fry for 2 minutes. Pour in the marinade mixture and stir for 1 minute until thickened.
5. Return the tofu to the wok with the green parts of the spring onions. Simmer gently for 1-2 minutes. Scatter over the basil leaves and serve at once with rice noodles.
Chef
