What's for dinner? Hakka-style braised tofu & greens in oyster sauce 客家燒豆腐、蠔油青菜

I tried cooking a new dish last night and it came out pretty good!

I admit, at the beginning I was a bit nervous trying to cook Taiwanese food. In the U.S. I was a casual cook, which to me means that I can follow a recipe, but I can't really throw things together and come up with my own dishes. 

Adding to my apprehension was the fact that my kitchen is so tiny!

But if a Taiwanese ah-ma can prepare an 8-dish meal for her family under these conditions, then so can I!

LET'S COOK!

INGREDIENTS – Braised Tofu

• 2 squares firm tofu
• ½ pound pork belly
• 3 leeks
• 2 red chilies
• 1½ T fermented soybeans
• 1½ T rice wine
• ¼ cup beef broth
• 1 T soy sauce
• 1 T soy sauce paste
• 1 T sesame oil
• 1 T tapioca starch+3 T water
• white pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS – Braised Tofu

Soak the fermented soybeans in the rice wine for 8 minutes, then drain.
 
Cut the tofu into sections.

Shred one leek; slice the other leeks and red chilies.

Heat 2 T of oil. Cook two sides of the tofu until golden, then remove.

Sauté the pork belly until brown.

 

 

Add the fermented soy beans and stir-fry until fragrant.

Add the leeks, red chilies….

…broth, soy sauce, soy bean paste, and white pepper.

Bring to a low boil.

Add the browned tofu, gently stirring the mixture to prevent the tofu from breaking.

Let the mixture simmer for 10 minutes.

Add the tapioca (or corn) starch mixture to thicken the sauce.

Drizzle with sesame oil and scoop into a serving plate.

Top with the shredded leek.

 

Now for the Greens in Oyster Sauce. The original recipe calls for Chinese Broccoli (芥蘭菜). However, I was too lazy to go to the traditional vegetable market, so I just grabbed a green vegetable from the supermarket.

The one I chose, Chinese Mustard (大芥菜), is probably better suited for soups. Next time I'll get the real deal.

INGREDIENTS – Greens with Oyster Sauce

• 1 pound greens (see above)
• 8~10 mushrooms, sliced
• 2 T oyster sauce
• 4 T beef broth
• 1 T ketchup
• 1 t spicy soybean paste
• 1 t vinegar
• 1 T tapioca starch+3 T water
• ½ T sesame oil

 

DIRECTIONS – Greens with Oyster Sauce

Separate the leafy and stem sections of the greens. Add to a pot of boiling water.

Cook until softened and deep green in color. Drain.

Put a little oil in a pan and stir-fry the mushrooms briefly until tender.

Add the oyster sauce, broth, ketchup, soybean paste, and vinegar.

Bring to a low boil.

Add the starch and water mixture to thicken the sauce.

Drizzle the sesame oil and mix.

Arrange the greens on a plate and pour the oyster sauce on top.

 

These recipes are from The Best-loved Everyday Dishes: Mastering the Culinary Art in One Cookbook by Cecilia Hong Baiyang.
這個食譜是從最想學會的家常菜：從小菜到主食一次學透透 作者:洪白陽 (CC老師) 來的.