Mixed tofu claypot

Name: Mixed tofu claypot
Prep time: 35 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 50 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Cantonese
Ingredients: Tofu 600 g; Dried shiitake mushroom 4; Large prawns (fresh, head-on) 75 g; Squid ½; Fish slices 6 slices; Chicken thigh 75 g; Roast pork belly 75 g; Carrot a few slices; Broccoli 1 small head; Cloud ear fungus 10 g; Fresh ginger 3 slices; Garlic 2 cloves; Spring onion / scallion 2; Oyster sauce 1½ tbsp; Light soy sauce 1 tsp; Sugar 1 tsp; Sesame oil a few drops; Peppercorn, chiefly white a pinch; Superior stock 250 ml; Cornflour 1 tbsp; Salt a pinch; Cooking oil 3 tbsp

八珍豆腐煲

ClaypotTofuFor guestsWeekendGood reheatedMediumhands-on 35 min · start to finish 50 min

“One pot does the whole dinner. The crust is yours.”

Ingredientsserves 4

街市Tofu· firm tofu, in thick slabs, pan-fried600 g

百子櫃Dried shiitake mushroom· soaked and halved; or fresh shiitake4

街市Large prawns (fresh, head-on)· peeled and deveined75 g

街市Squid· scored and cut in pieces½

街市Fish slices· or six fish balls6 slices

街市Chicken thigh· boned and sliced75 g

街市Roast pork belly· or char siu, cut up75 g

街市Carrota few slices

街市Broccoli· cut into florets1 small head

百子櫃Cloud ear fungus· soaked10 g

街市Fresh ginger3 slices

街市Garlic2 cloves

街市Spring onion / scallion· in lengths2

雜貨舖Oyster sauce1½ tbsp

雜貨舖Light soy sauce1 tsp

雜貨舖Sugar1 tsp

雜貨舖Sesame oila few drops

百子櫃Peppercorn, chiefly white· ground white peppera pinch

雜貨舖Superior stock· or water250 ml

雜貨舖Cornflour· starch, a teaspoon to velvet the chicken and prawns, the rest for the slurry1 tbsp

雜貨舖Salt· for the velvetinga pinch

雜貨舖Cooking oil· two to fry the tofu, one for the aromatics3 tbsp

Method

Cut the tofu into thick slabs, pat dry and fry golden on both sides in two tablespoons of oil; set aside. Blanch the carrot and broccoli thirty seconds and lift out.
Toss the chicken slices and the prawns separately with a pinch of starch and salt to velvet them. Score the inside of the squid in a diamond and cut it into pieces.
Fry the ginger and garlic in a tablespoon of oil, then the chicken, prawns and squid on high heat until they just change colour and are sealed; lift out.
In the same wok fry the mushrooms, carrot and wood ear a minute, add the stock, oyster sauce, light soy, sugar and white pepper and bring to the boil.
Return the tofu, lid on, low heat five minutes so it takes the taste.
Return the chicken, prawns, squid, roast pork, fish slices and broccoli and cook one minute until the chicken and seafood are cooked through: no pink in the chicken, prawns opaque and curled, squid curled. Thicken with the slurry and add the sesame oil.
Tip into a hot claypot, lay the spring onion on top and serve bubbling. Eight is a manner of speaking; families count six or ten and still call it eight treasures.

Take care

Contains crustacean (prawns), mollusc (squid, oyster sauce), fish (fish slices or fish balls), soy (tofu, soy sauce) and wheat. Chicken and seafood must be cooked through.

The story

八珍 is the old Chinese eight delicacies, a banquet word Cantonese restaurant kitchens borrowed for any generous mixed pot, and this tofu claypot is the one families order when children and grandparents share a table, because everyone finds something in it. At home it is what a Sunday fridge produces on Monday.

Same technique

Claypot rice with cured meats

Claypot rice with beef and egg

Claypot rice with chicken and mushroom

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.