_bean Curd To Press Recipes

Steps:

• Prepare bean curd: In a saucepan combine water, 1/4 cup of the soy sauce and five-spice powder. Add bean curd and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to low and simmer 10 minutes. Remove saucepan from heat and let bean curd marinate in liquid, 1 hour. Using a slotted spoon, place bean curd in one layer on a plate lined with paper towels. Reserve cooking liquid. Cover bean curd with more towels, then weight with 5-pound weight. Bean curd must be pressed under weight at least 5 hours, or refrigerated with weight up to 24 hours.
• Prepare duck: In a nonreactive bowl mix duck with garlic, the remaining 1/4 cup soy sauce, 1/4 cup of the Shao Hsing and sugar. Marinate overnight.
• Heat oil in a large heavy-bottomed saute pan over medium-high heat. Add duck, skin-side down, and cook 5 minutes, or until well-browned. Turn and cook 2 minutes more. Remove duck to a plate and discard rendered fat. Place pan over high heat, and add remaining 1/2 cup Shao Hsing and reserved bean curd cooking liquid, stirring to scrape up any browned bits. Add ginger, scallions, chili peppers and star anise and bring to a boil. Place duck pieces in a sand pot (or an enamelware or cast iron pot) skin-side up. Using a slotted spoon, transfer ginger, scallions and spices to pot and scatter over duck pieces. Pour cooking liquid over duck to barely cover. You may not need to use all liquid. Bring to a boil over medium heat and simmer, basting occasionally, 1 hour. (If you use a sand pot, read instructions carefully. Be sure to use a flame tamer to prevent pot from cracking.)
• Just before serving slice pressed bean curd into 1/4-inch thick slices. Add bean curd to pot and simmer 1 minute to heat through. In a cup, dissolve cornstarch in water to consistency of heavy cream. Using a slotted spoon, divide duck, bean curd and aromatics among 6 plates. Bring cooking liquid to a boil and add cornstarch mixture, stirring well until thickened. Taste for seasoning, then spoon sauce over duck.

Steps:

• Cut each cake of bean curd into 4 cubes, and deep-fry the pieces in oil, heated to 375 degrees, about 5 minutes, or until golden. (When adding bean curd to hot oil, do so gently, using the lid of the wok as a shield to protect yourself from any spattering oil.) Remove the bean curd, drain, cool, and cut into 1/8-inch julienne strips. Set aside. Cut the pork into similar strips, and mix with the next 5 ingredients. Cut the bamboo shoots, celery and ham into similar strips. Soak mushrooms 15 minutes in warm water, discard the stems and cut into similar julienne strips. Mince garlic. Mix cornstarch solution with the next 3 ingredients.
• Using high heat, heat a wok, add the oil, salt and garlic, and stir-fry 10 seconds.
• Add pork, and stir-fry 2 minutes.
• Add bean curd, bamboo shoots, celery and mushrooms, and stir-fry 10 seconds.
• Add stock, cover and boil 2 minutes.
• Add cornstarch solution, stir until thickened, remove from heat, and serve, garnished with Smithfield ham.

Steps:

• Place a sheet of wax paper on a cutting or other flat board. Set the cakes of bean curd side by side on the paper. Cover with a second sheet of wax paper, another flat board. Weight the top board with heavy objects: thick books, a kettle filled with water, etc. Let stand until bean curd cakes become compressed and solid (about 5 hours or overnight).Or: Wrap each bean cake individually in cheesecloth. Place between two flat boards. Weight as above, gradually increasing the weight at 20-minute intervals. Unwrap after 1 hour. NOTE: Pressing fresh bean curd makes it more compact, less fragile, and easier to handle. Some cooks parboil the bean curd first in salted water to make it keep longer. When the cakes float, they are removed, drained and pressed as above. The Thousand Recipe Chinese Cookbook. ©1994 by Gloria Bley Miller.

Steps:

• Drain tofu and cut into 1/2-inch pieces.
• Heat oil in nonstick skillet and saute ginger and garlic for 30 seconds. Add pork, stirring to separate pieces and cook about 1 minute to brown.
• Add the scallions, chili paste, soy sauce, sesame oil and chicken stock and stir well. Add the tofu and stir in gently; cook, uncovered, over low heat about 5 minutes. If necessary, add a little more stock. Serve over rice.