There are many classic Chinese snacks, but nothing can be as "infamous" as stinky tofu.
People who don't like to eat stinky tofu will never figure it out: this thing is so smelly, how can it be eaten? Those who like it are salivating: just like the black of the day and the night, you will never get the beauty of stinky tofu.
Stinky tofu has two major factions: Changsha Black and Shaoxing White, each of which can be called "Street Fighter". Changsha stinky tofu is famous for its great people, and its taste is crisp on the outside and tender on the inside. Serve with chili peppers, radish, coriander and garlic paste and burst the pulp.
Walking on the streets of Changsha, you can find a stinky tofu store every 100 meters.
Changsha stinky tofu and sugar oil dumplings
What the people of Shanghai are more familiar with is Shaoxing stinky tofu. Compared with Hunan stinky tofu fermented with shiitake mushrooms and tempeh, Shaoxing stinky tofu is brewed with amaranth juice. If you are in the countryside and find wild amaranth to make tofu, the umami and smell will have to go up several levels.
Compared with the dry aroma of Changsha stinky tofu, Shaoxing stinky tofu is softer and full of sauce, not to mention how delicious it is!
It is not an exaggeration to say that stinky tofu is the king of snacks. As far as the major scenic towns, close to the mouth of the community, next to the school, you can always find a small stall supporting a large oil pot, selling stinky tofu figure.
However, stinky tofu, which used to be eaten only on the street, is now in the room, has a delicate appearance, and can rank 4th in the store?
This stinky tofu comes from the gang restaurant: Plum Garden Spring Dawn. What's the chef's secret to make this stinky tofu so special? After the unremitting efforts of the editor, I finally asked the reason... It turns out that such a small piece of stinky tofu has a standard!
(1) The surface of the fried stinky tofu is uniform and not rough
(2) The shape is square
(3) The taste is crisp on the outside and tender on the inside
(4) The filling is full and empty
Any dissatisfaction is not qualified!
Let's take a look at the chef's specific approach
「Ingredient Preparation」
Ingredients: Shaoxing stinky tofu 300g, edamame 20g
Seasoning: pickled pepper paste, sugar, chicken essence, monosodium glutamate
The Shaoxing stinky tofu purchased has three points:
Packaging without drumming (avoiding re-fermentation)
Stinky tofu is chunky (taste is cooler)
Uniform dark spots (well fermented)
Unit of measurement:
The size of the rice bowl in the picture on the right shall prevail
1 teaspoon = 6 ml salt
1 hot pot spoon = 30 ml of water
「 Production Process "
01
Process stinky tofu
Rinse the stinky tofu chunks with running water. Then be sure to use kitchen paper to suck up the water and prevent splashing oil when it will be fried.
02
Tip one: Want stinky tofu to taste better
Frying twice is key!
First frying: Simmer the stinky tofu filling at residual temperature
Pour 4 hotpot spoons (120g) of oil into the pot, wait for the oil temperature to be about 60%, add the stinky tofu, and wait for the surface to harden and whiten. The restaurant will turn off the heat at this time, and at home we will turn it on to a low heat, wait 30 seconds, and drain the oil.
Tips：
▶60% oil temperature: a small amount of green smoke, put in the chopsticks, there will be dense bubbles around.
▶ Remember to suck the stinky tofu dry before frying to prevent spilling oil.
Correct demonstration is as follows▼
Second frying: Fry at a high oil temperature until the surface is golden brown
Turn on the medium heat, increase the oil temperature, when the oil temperature reaches 70% heat, pour in the stinky tofu, stir well, let the surface fry golden, about 30 seconds or so, you can fish up the stinky tofu.
03
Tip two: a good stinky tofu
Sauce is key!
Excellent stinky tofu is inevitably inseparable from the embellishment of the sauce. This sauce of Plum Garden Spring Dawn is an exclusive secret recipe! Today, the chefs are all "called", and the rice noodles have a mouthful of blessings
It turns out that this pickled pepper sauce is made of two thorn strips of pickled pepper and garlic
Two wattles: garlic = 3:1
▶ Two thorn strips of pickled pepper a treasure is for sale ~
On low heat, add 1 hot pot spoon (30g) of pickled pepper sauce to the pot and sauté to bring out the aroma.
Then add 0.5 spoons (15g) of water 2 teaspoons (12g) of sugar, 1 teaspoon (6g) of chicken essence, 1 teaspoon (6g) of MONOSG to taste, and finally pour in blanched edamame, add 10g of water starch to the sauce.
The most critical step is here!
At this time, turn to the high heat, add 10g of hot oil, continue to beat, be sure to put the oil into the sauce. Finally, pour the sauce over the tofu.
▶ It's time to test the arm strength, about 10 seconds or so, and you can't see the oil on the mustard.
The scent is mouth-watering, and the desire to eat rises to the extreme. Take a sip gently, the crust is crisp and crispy, the inside is soft and tender, and with that tempting sauce, the taste is too good to say!
Some people say: Smell to the extreme, is incense to the extreme. In the production and preservation of food, people have gathered thousands of years of wisdom. Chinese cuisine has the magic of turning decay into magic.