Juicy Fried Tofu (锅塌豆腐)

Slice the tofu into large squares, about a half inch (~1.25 cm) thick and 2 inches (~5 cm) wide. Lightly sprinkle a pinch of salt on both sides and place the tofu on a kitchen towel lined plate for 10 minutes. (Kitchen towel helps absorb extra water from the tofu.)

While waiting for the tofu, mince the ginger. First, peel off the skin. Then use a meat pounder or the back of a cleaver to smash the ginger. Finally, gently rock a chef’s knife back and forth across the loosened ginger to mince it. Set aside. Cut the green onion into small pieces. Set aside together with the minced ginger.

In two separate bowls, place the ¼ cup of starch in one bowl and beat the egg in another bowl. Use a paper towel to dry the tofu by patting it lightly. Then fully dust the tofu squares with the corn starch on both sides. Once done, lay all the tofu squares on a large plate (no overlapping). Don’t throw away the extra starch left in the bowl. Add 2 tablespoons of water to the starch to make starch water and set aside.

Heat a large nonstick pan or a large well seasoned cast iron skillet on medium heat. When the pan is getting hot, add 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil. Dip a corn starch dusted tofu square into the egg. Then placing the egg breaded tofu on the pan. Repeat with the remaining tofu.

Lightly fry all the tofu squares. Put one layer of tofu on the pan only. Monitor the heat closely (medium or medium-low) to make sure tofu is only lightly fried. After about 3 minutes, flip the tofu to fry the other side. Once done, both sides should have a golden to light brown color. Transfer all the tofu to a large plate.

In another small bowl, make the sauce by combining the 1 tablespoon of light soy sauce and the 1 teaspoon of sugar and set aside.

With some oil remaining in the pan, raise the heat one notch up to medium-high. When the oil is getting hot, add the minced ginger, sliced green onion, and the 1 teaspoon of dry shrimp (optional), stirring to mix. Add the 1 cup of low sodium stock or water and the sauce from the previous step, stirring to combine. (If using water instead of stock, add 1 teaspoon of kosher salt or ½ teaspoon of table salt)

When small bubbles start to appear in the stock, place the lightly fried tofu one at a time into the pan. The tofu should be half submerged in the flavored stock. Lower the heat to maintain a simmer to let the tofu slowly absorb the flavored stock. After about 5 minutes, there should be a noticeable reduction in stock. Carefully transfer the tofu to a large plate leaving the stock in the pan.

Add about 1 tablespoon of starch water to thicken the stock. If there is still much stock left, add more starch water until you reach the right consistency. If after taking the tofu out, there is little stock left, omit the starch or only add 1 teaspoon of starch water at a time.

Pour or spoon the thickened stock mixture onto the lightly fried tofu. Best enjoyed when it’s hot.