Friday, May 11, 2007

Century Egg Tofu


Century egg tofu is my favorite way to enjoy these eggs. Silken tofu and century egg slices are drizzled with soy sauce (or soy paste) and sesame oil and topped with green onions and pork floss.

Soy paste is light soy sauce thickened with starch and sometimes sugar. The brand I use is Kimlan. It is used as dipping sauce because the thick consistency clings more readily to food. Using soy paste prevents the dish from being too runny but light soy sauce can be substituted (use less because it might be saltier) if you don’t have soy paste on hand.

Century Egg Tofu - Pidan Doufu
1 block silken tofu
2 century eggs
1 green onion, thinly sliced.
2 Tbsp rinsed and chopped preserved mustard stems (zha cai), optional
1 tsp vegetable oil
Approximately 1 1/2 Tbsp soy paste, to taste
1 tsp toasted sesame oil
About 3 Tbsp pork floss

Steam the block of silken tofu for 10 – 15 minutes and drain. This helps get rid of excess water in the tofu. Let it cool to room temperature and slice into 1/2 in pieces. Personally I like this dish to be at room temperature but it can be served cold too.

Cut the century eggs into slices. First cut in half lengthwise then each half into quarters and each quarter into 2 or 3 slices.

Heat 1 tsp of vegetable oil over medium heat and cook the zha cai for 1 or 2 minutes (if using). Then take the pan off heat and add the sliced green onions and let the flavor bloom in the hot oil. If not using the zha cai, heat up the oil and once hot, take the pan off heat and add the green onions to the hot oil.

To serve arrange the century egg slices on the tofu slices. Drizzle soy paste and sesame oil over the tofu and egg. Sprinkle the green onion (and zha cai) and pork floss on top.

6 comments:

Anh said...

I love century eggs and tofu. What a combination! This dish is a must try for me :)

Amy said...

Anh,
I hope you like it! :)

Anonymous said...

Century tofu - I've had similar combination (not prepared the same way) in Jap. food. I think they sort of "puree-ed" the century egg a little.

Amy said...

Tigerfish,
I believe there's a very similar Taiwanese and Japanese dish. Hmm pureed eggs sounds interesting though.

Anonymous said...

Nice recipe. How about using oyster sauce instead of soya paste? I think it will taste good too.

J.C. said...

I have eaten this dish often when I was living in Shanghai. It's usually served chilled as an appetizer. Now that I read about it in your blog, I miss it and wish I could have it now.

Thanks for the recipe. I will try to make it at home.

I have put a link to your blog and recommend this dish to be tried for those who love century eggs.


J.C. of Subang Jaya Daily Photo

LinkWithin

Blog Widget by LinkWithin