Tofu with a Kick - Seared and Seasoned with Aged Shaoxing Wine

This is not the usual light tofu dishes. Healthy still, but this recipe is packed with garlics, chilies, scallions, and most importantly, aged Shaoxing wine. It has to be good.

Seared tofu with aged Shaoxing wine -

Ingredients?

• 1 box/about 300 grams semi-firm tofu
• 4 garlic cloves
• 2 to 4 red chilies
• 1 stalk scallion
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon aged Shaoxing wine
• 1/4 teaspoon granulated sugar
• Some olive oil
• Some black pepper

How?

Peel and roughly chop the garlic cloves. Discard the chili stems and chop into smaller pieces. Use less or more chilies depending on tolerance, I mean preference. Discard the scallion stem and chop into shorter sections.

Remove the tofu from the box and drain well. Cut in half lengthwise then cut into squares. One tofu usually yields about 12 smaller square pieces. Use a kitchen towel to absorb the moisture on the surface.

Mix the soy sauce, Shaoxing wine, and sugar in a little container. Stir and make sure the sugar dissolves - 

Add 2 tablespoons of olive oil to a non-stick pan and turn to medium high heat. Carefully transfer the tofu into the pan and sear till both sides turn slightly browned. Transfer the tofu to a plate, leaving any excess oil in the pan. 

You can also coat each tofu squares with flour before searing. If doing so, add in the tofu after the oil gets hot. The coating helps in holding up the sauce, making the tofu even more flavorful but more oily on the other hand. Either way tastes good.

In the same pan, drizzle more oil if needed, just enough to evenly coat the surface. Still using medium high heat, add in the garlic, chilies, and scallion. Cook till the garlic is about to get burnt, pour in the premixed sauce right away.

Give it a quick stir and wait till the sauce starts to bubble. Transfer the seared tofu back to the pan. Flip half way through making sure both sides are coated with the sauce. Keep searing till all the sauce is gone. You might want to lower the heat a bit if the sauce dries up too fast and need more time flipping the tofu squares.

Transfer onto a serving plate and sprinkle some black pepper.


Other recipes using tofu:

• Japanese Pork Slices and Napa Cabbage Hot Pot (豚バラと白菜の重ね鍋)
• Japanese Curry Nabe for Two - To Make It Even Better? Top It with an Egg
• Raining Day Remedy - Homemade Pork and Onion Meatballs with Japanese Style Soup Base
• Taiwanese Fu Cai and Meatballs Stew 福菜肉丸