Braised Egg Tofu
This is one of my favorite egg tofu dishes from Chinese restaurants. The secret is to deep-fry the tofu to develop a brown skin on them. Not only is it flavorful, but it protects the tofu from falling apart in the sauce.
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!
Notes
Sometimes, I will also add a handful of dried scallops to the container of soaking shiitake mushrooms.