Steamed Stuffed Tofu

Ingredients

• 1 package soft tofu
• 10 oz shrimp
• 10 oz swai fish fillet
• 2 stalk green onion
• 1 tsp cornstarch
• 1 tsp oil
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp sugar
• 0.5 tsp white pepper
• 2 tbsp cornstarch
• 2 tbsp water
• 1 tbsp fish sauce
• 1 tbsp oyster sauce
• 1 tsp sugar
• 4 tbsp water
• 1 tsp cornstarch

Steps

1. 1

   Start by preparing the filling, which will be a fish and shrimp paste. If you wish, you can opt for only fish, only shrimp, or any combination of proteins, like ground pork or beef. While you can sometimes buy this at a Chinese seafood counter, it's good to know how to make it from scratch!

2. 2

   Now that we have the shrimp and fish paste, we can finally marinate it. Add salt, sugar, white pepper, cornstarch, and water to a bowl. Mix it up and pour it over the shrimp and fish paste.

3. 3

   Remove the tofu from its packaging and pour out the water. When we cut the tofu, we’ll want to end up with short squares that the filling can perch safely on top of. Keep that final shape in mind as you make these cuts. When you lay the tofu block down on the cutting board, all of the cuts will start from the top and cut down. Cut the tofu in half down the middle. Then, make four cuts perpendicular to that cut, resulting in ten squares of tofu. Lay the tofu squares down on the dish that you’ll be steaming in.

4. 4

   Take your filling out of the fridge. Gently scoop about 1 tbsp of filling onto each tofu square. You can press down gently to shape the filling and encourage it to stick.

5. 5

   In a bowl, mix together fish sauce, oyster sauce, sugar, water, and cornstarch. Later, you’ll be able to adjust the viscosity as you cook it.

6. 6

   If you have a dedicated steamer, that’s perfect for this step. We usually set up our wok with a steamer rack. To do that, set the steamer rack in the wok and add water. To save time, use already hot or boiling water.

7. 7

   Pour the steaming water out, or use a new, clean wok. Set the heat to high and pour the sauce in. Add a dash of oil and stir the sauce as it cooks. Turn the heat down to medium as it begins to boil.