Century egg and tofu

Name: Century egg and tofu
Prep time: 10 min
Total time: 10 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Cantonese
Ingredients: Tofu 1 block, 300 g silken tofu; Century egg 2; Spring onion / scallion 1; Coriander / cilantro a few sprigs; Light soy sauce 1½ tbsp; Sesame oil 1 tsp; Sugar ½ tsp; Garlic ½ tsp, chopped

皮蛋豆腐

Blanched and poachedTofuWeeknightFor guestsOne pot, one mealEasyhands-on 10 min · start to finish 10 min

“Blanched, a pour of soy. Clean and simple.”

Ingredientsserves 4

街市Tofu· silken or soft tofu, chilled1 block, 300 g silken tofu

街市Century egg· shelled, cut in wedges2

街市Spring onion / scallion· finely chopped1

街市Coriander / cilantroa few sprigs

雜貨舖Light soy sauce1½ tbsp

雜貨舖Sesame oil1 tsp

雜貨舖Sugar½ tsp

街市Garlic· optional½ tsp, chopped

Method

Keep the tofu chilled in its box. Open it, pour off the water, turn the block out onto the serving plate and blot the top with kitchen paper.
Peel the century eggs and cut each into six or eight wedges; wet the knife and the egg will not stick to it.
Lay the egg over and around the tofu.
Stir the soy, sesame oil, sugar and, if using, the garlic until the sugar dissolves, and spoon it over the tofu.
Scatter the spring onion and coriander and serve cold with the rice. The tofu is eaten uncooked, so open it the day you serve it and keep the dish in the fridge until it goes to the table.

Take care

Contains egg, soy (the tofu and the soy sauce), wheat (the soy sauce) and sesame. The tofu is eaten uncooked: buy it in date, keep it cold throughout, and eat the dish the day it is made.

The story

A dish the Hong Kong table borrowed from Taiwan and Shanghai and made its own as the no-cook rice dish for a hot evening; HK01 files it under easy home cooking and explains the pine-branch pattern in a good egg that gives it the name 松花. The pork floss topping is the Taiwanese import, the pickled mustard the Shanghainese one, and the plain soy-and-sesame version the Hong Kong default.

Same technique

Blanched choy sum

Lettuce in oyster sauce

Amaranth in stock with century and salted egg

Lo Fo Tong is cultural food-heritage reference, not medical advice. If you are pregnant, unwell or on medication, talk to your doctor or registered practitioner before changing what is in the pot.