This Braised Egg Tofu recipe is one of my favorite Chinese tofu dishes. I have cooked egg tofu with various methods but I think deep-frying gives the best results. The braising sauce is made with dried shiitake mushrooms, oyster sauce, and dark soy sauce.
My family goes out to eat at Chinese restaurants probably once every month. One of our favorite dishes on the set menu is the braised egg tofu. It consists of deep-fried egg tofu, shiitake mushrooms, and some Chinese greens (usually bok choy), all coated in a thick brown sauce.
My absolute favorite part is the brown skin on the tofu. Not only does it soak up the sauce, but it also has an eggy flavor similar to the outside of French toast. The skin is formed by deep-frying the tofu in very hot oil.
How to prepare egg tofu
Egg tofu always comes in a plastic tube. This is because it is very delicate and breaks apart easily. The circle shape is easier to cut into medallions and cook properly.
To remove the egg tofu, just slice through the packaging and squeeze the tofu out. Some packages have a dotted line where you can cut through.
Once that is done, you just need to slice the tofu. Since we are deep-frying it, I prefer to leave the tofu in thicker chunks, about 1 ½ inches thick. This leaves a good ratio of deep-fried skin to tender tofu inside.
Deep-frying the egg tofu
Deep-frying egg tofu will give it a brown layer of skin that tastes delicious and also protects it from falling apart. The key to frying it is using a high temperature. You need the oil to be around 375-400°F or it will not form the skin properly.
Egg tofu is very fragile so I am using a metal spider to gently lower the pieces into the hot oil. Once they are in the oil, they only take 2-3 minutes until they are cooked.
If you are not comfortable with deep-frying, you can also pan-fry them, but the skin will not cover the entire tofu and will be more likely to fall apart when you braise it.
Key ingredients for the sauce
Dried shiitake mushrooms: You can find these at almost any Chinese grocery store. What we are after is the leftover liquid from rehydrating them. It is very flavorful and packed with umami. To rehydrate them, pack them in a glass container, fill the container with water, and then let it sit in the fridge overnight.
Oyster sauce: This is a condiment you can find at almost any Chinese grocery store, even some Western supermarkets now carry it. It is used to season dishes much in the same way as soy sauce, but it is less salty and has a more briny taste. Lee Kum Kee brand is the GOAT.
Dark soy sauce: Remember, we eat with our eyes first. Anytime you see dark soy sauce in a recipe, it is primarily used to give the dish a darker color. It is not as salty as regular soy sauce and you only need a little bit for it to work. I only used half a teaspoon.
Putting it all together
Braised Egg Tofu
Ingredients
- 8 pieces dried shiitake mushrooms
- 2 packages egg tofu
- 1 tablespoon oil
- 2 teaspoons minced garlic (2 cloves)
- 1 teaspoon minced ginger
- 2 tablespoons oyster sauce
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- ½ teaspoon dark soy sauce
- ¼ teaspoon sugar
- 3 baby bok choy (halved)
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
Instructions
- Soak the shiitake mushrooms in 2 cups of water in the fridge overnight. If you are short on time, you can simmer them in a small pot for 20 minutes instead. Once they are rehydrated, cut off and discard the stems.
- Cut through the dotted line on the egg tofu package and squeeze one end of the package to push out the tofu. Cut the tofu into 1 ½-inch thick cylinders. Repeat with the other package.
- Heat about 1 inch of oil to 375-400°F (the oil MUST be this hot for the skin to form on the tofu). Use a metal spider and gently lower 5-6 pieces of tofu into the hot oil. Cook the tofu for 2-3 minutes until a brown skin forms around them. Remove to a paper towel-lined plate to dry. Wait for the oil to reheat before frying the rest of the tofu.
- Heat a pot of boiling water and blanch the bok choy for 45 seconds. Drain and set the bok choy aside.
- Heat one tablespoon of oil in a wok over medium heat. Add the garlic and ginger and cook for 20 seconds. Add mushroom-soaking water, then add the oyster sauce, soy sauce, dark soy sauce, and sugar, and bring to a boil.
- Combine the cornstarch with 2 tablespoons of water, then stir it into the sauce to thicken.
- Add the bok choy, shiitake mushrooms, and egg tofu and gently stir to coat everything in the sauce. If you prefer the sauce more runny, you can add a little more water. Enjoy!
Wendy Duan
Loved this recipe! Best egg tofu recipe I've tried so far