← Nouns Cooking · Chinese

Ingredients

• 450 g silken tofu, well chilled
• 2 Century eggs (pidan, preserved duck eggs), peeled, rinsed and cut into small wedges
• 2 cloves Garlic, finely chopped
• 1 Red chilli, finely chopped (optional)
• 2 Spring onion, finely sliced
• 1½ tbsp light soy sauce
• ½ tsp Sugar
• 1 tsp Chinese black vinegar (optional)
• 1 tsp Toasted sesame oil
• 1 tbsp neutral oil
• 1 handful Coriander (cilantro), chopped (optional)

Method

1. Carefully turn the tofu out onto a shallow plate, drain off the water and cut it into thick slices or cubes, keeping the block shape.
2. Scatter the century egg pieces over and around the tofu.
3. Stir the soy sauce, sugar, vinegar and sesame oil together and spoon it over.
4. Pile the garlic, chilli and spring onion on top. Heat the oil in a small pan until shimmering and pour it over so the garlic sizzles. Add the coriander and serve cold.

Tips

• Century eggs smell strongly when first peeled; rinsing them and letting them sit for a few minutes softens the aroma.
• Many cooks use vegetarian "oyster" sauce in the dressing for extra depth.

Sources

Written in our own words after cross-checking these recipes:

Omnivore's Cookbook Tiffy Cooks