Huizhou Hairy Tofu
Have you ever eaten hairy tofu? Today's Huizhou Hairy Tofu will show you a different way to eat tofu. The taste is very delicious and is loved by many people. Come and learn to make it!
What is Huizhou Hairy Tofu?
Huizhou Hairy Tofu is a traditional famous dish in Huizhou area. It is mainly made of Maodoufu and combined with ingredients such as Pork belly, winter bamboo shoots and mushrooms. It has a crispy outside and tender inside and a strong tofu flavor. It is one of the representatives of Huizhou food culture.
It is said that Huizhou Hairy Tofu originated in ancient times. At that time, people were reluctant to throw away deteriorated and hairy tofu. After trying to fry it, they found that it had a unique taste and thus it was passed down.
Nowadays, Maodoufu is made by artificially fermenting fresh tofu, and its surface grows a layer of fine white hair.
The origin of Huizhou Hairy Tofu
According to legend, during the Ming Dynasty, Zhu Yuanzhang, the founding emperor of the Ming Dynasty, was defeated in Huizhou in a battle and fled to the area of Xiuning. At that time, he was extremely hungry. One day, his attendant found several pieces of fermented and hairy tofu in a haystack.
Although the tofu was already hairy, there was no other choice at that time. The attendant roasted the tofu on charcoal fire and gave it to Zhu Yuanzhang to eat. Unexpectedly, the fermented tofu tasted extremely delicious, and Zhu Yuanzhang was very happy after eating it.
Later, Zhu Yuanzhang turned defeat into victory and then ordered the army chefs to make this kind of Maodoufu to reward the three armies. Since then, Maodoufu has spread in Huizhou.
Ingredients Needed and Substitutions
Main ingredients
Firm tofu: It is the main ingredient for making Huizhou Hairy Tofu and has a smooth and tender taste.
Pork belly: Main meat, providing rich nutrition and taste.
Additional ingredients
Winter bamboo shoots: Fresh in taste, providing rich nutrition for the dish.
Mushrooms: With a unique aroma, it can help increase the layering of the dish.
Scallions (white part): With a special smell, it can help enhance the taste of the dish.
Ginger: Has the function of removing fishy smell and enhancing fragrance, making the dish delicious.
Fermented chili paste: Provide spiciness and increase the flavor of the dish.
Seasonings
Oil: Used for cooking dishes and mixing various ingredients together.
Salt: Basic seasoning to enhance the taste of the dish.
Light soy sauce: Provide delicious taste and bright color for the dish.
Substitutions:
Firm tofu: Can be replaced by south tofu or old tofu.
Pork belly: Can be replaced by pork slices or diced pork.
Winter bamboo shoots: Can be replaced by bamboo shoots or fresh mushrooms.
Mushrooms: Can be replaced by pleurotus eryngii, tricholoma matsutake or enoki mushrooms.
Scallions (white part): Can be replaced by scallions (green part) or onions.
Ginger: Can be replaced by garlic.
Fermented chili paste: If you don't like spiciness, you can omit it and use bean paste instead.
Light soy sauce: Can be replaced by dark soy sauce.
How to make Maodoufu by yourself?
Making Maodoufu by fermentation is also very simple. The details are as follows:
1. Prepare mold powder, sterilized steamer and steamer tray in advance.
2. Taking 2 catties of tofu as an example, take 4 grams of mold powder and mix it with 150 milliliters of cooled boiled water. Stir evenly and filter it with a sieve. The liquid is reserved.
3. Cut fresh tofu into squares of 2 - 3 centimeters. The thickness is about 1.5 centimeters (this can be according to personal preference).
4. Dip the cut tofu evenly in the mold powder water and place it on the sterilized steamer tray. Do not stack them together. Pay attention to leaving enough gaps.
5. Put the steamer tray into the steamer and seal it. At a temperature of 28 degrees Celsius, it will grow hair in 36 hours.
Tips for Success
Tofu fermentation skills
First of all, choose firm Firm tofu. This kind of tofu is easier to ferment and not easy to break.
The temperature for tofu fermentation should be appropriate. Generally, 15 - 20℃ and humidity of 70% - 80% are better. This can make the tofu grow fluff evenly.
During the fermentation process, check the changes of tofu every day to ensure that a uniform and fine white or gray fluff grows on the surface of tofu. This is a sign of successful fermentation.
Cooking skills
Frying tofu:
Before frying tofu, ensure that the oil temperature reaches 70% heat. This can make the tofu quickly take shape and fry until golden and crispy.
When frying, gently turn the tofu to avoid adhesion or burning.
Seasoning and simmering:
When cooking, first stir-fry pork grains, scallions, ginger and fermented chili paste, and then add winter bamboo shoot grains and mushroom grains. This can make the seasonings more intense.
After adding an appropriate amount of clear water, then add salt and soy sauce and boil until boiling.
After adding the fried Maodoufu into the pot, quickly stir-fry to make the tofu evenly coated with seasonings and simmer for a few minutes to let the tofu fully absorb the taste of the soup.
Details to note
Hygiene during fermentation:
During the fermentation process, ensure a clean and hygienic environment to avoid contamination of tofu.
Heat control:
When cooking, the heat should not be too high to avoid burning or drying up the soup.
When frying tofu, the oil temperature should not be too high to avoid being burnt outside and raw inside.
Ingredient combination:
The combination of ingredients such as pork, winter bamboo shoots and mushrooms should be reasonable, which can not only increase the taste layers but also improve the nutritional value of the whole dish.
INGREDIENTS
Main Ingredients
-
·500g firm tofu
-
·50g pork belly
Additional Ingredients
-
·30g winter bamboo shoots
-
·30g mushrooms
-
·10g scallions (white part)
-
·10g ginger
Seasonings
-
·10g fermented chili paste
-
·Appropriate amount of oil
-
·5g salt
-
·10ml light soy sauce
COOKING STEP
Step 1
Tofu fermentation:
Carefully cut 500 grams of Firm tofu into small pieces of 3 - 4 centimeters square.
Arrange them neatly on a bamboo sieve, leaving a certain distance between each other to prevent adhesion. Then place it in a suitable environment.
Check it every day and wait patiently for white or gray fluff to grow on its surface to complete fermentation.
Step 2
Ingredient pretreatment:
Peel 30 grams of winter bamboo shoots and cut them into uniform small grains. Cut 30 grams of soaked mushrooms after removing the stems into grains.
Cut 50 grams of Pork belly into small grains. Cut 10 grams of scallions into chopped scallions and 10 grams of ginger into minced ginger. Set them aside respectively.
Step 3
Frying Maodoufu:
Heat a pan and pour in sufficient oil. Heat it until it reaches 70% heat. Gently put the fermented Maodoufu and fry it over medium-low heat.
After the Maodoufu shows a uniform golden color, take it out with a colander and drain the oil for later use.
Step 4
Stir-frying ingredients:
Pour 15 milliliters of oil into the pan again. After the oil is hot, put in the cut pork grains and stir-fry continuously until the surface is slightly charred and fragrant.
Then add chopped scallions, minced ginger and 10 grams of fermented chili paste and quickly stir-fry evenly.
Step 5
Prepare soup:
Add the cut winter bamboo shoot grains and mushroom grains to the pan in sequence. After stir-frying a few times, pour in an appropriate amount of clear water.
Add 5 grams of salt and 10 milliliters of soy sauce, stir evenly, adjust the heat to high and boil the soup.
Step 6
Simmer for flavor:
Put the fried Maodoufu into the boiling soup and gently turn it to make it evenly coated with the soup.
Then cover the pot and simmer over low heat for a few minutes to let the Maodoufu fully absorb the delicious taste of the soup. After it is flavored, it can be taken out and served on a plate.
More delicious home-cooked recipes worth trying
Chinese Steamed Fish Unveiling Exquisite Flavors
Simple Recipe: Seaweed Tofu Soup
Wood Ear Mushroom Salad Recipes
Serving Suggestions
Recommended combinations
Rice: The soup of Huizhou Hairy Tofu is rich and mellow. It is very suitable for eating with rice. The softness of rice and the mellowness of Huizhou Hairy Tofu are very delicious, which greatly increases appetite. It is simple and satisfying.
Huizhou sesame seed cake: The crispy wheat fragrance of Huizhou sesame seed cake and the smooth and fragrant taste of Maodoufu set off each other. Take a bite of the sesame seed cake first and feel its crispness. Then taste the Maodoufu. The dry fragrance of the sesame seed cake can neutralize the greasiness of Maodoufu and enrich the taste. Experience the dual charm of Huizhou specialty food.
Eating suggestions
Maodoufu should be eaten while hot after being cooked. At this time, the skin is crispy and the inside is tender. The taste is the best. After cooling, the skin will become soft and affect the taste.
When eating, you can sprinkle some chopped scallions, coriander or crushed chili peppers according to personal taste to add fresh fragrance and spiciness and make the taste more rich. If you like sour taste, you can also add a few drops of balsamic vinegar for a unique flavor.
FAQs:
To avoid such a situation, when making Maodoufu, ensure that the temperature of the fermentation environment is between 15 - 20℃ and the humidity is about 70% - 80%. You can cover the tofu with a clean damp cloth to help maintain humidity.
At the same time, the container for holding tofu and the tools in contact with tofu need to be ensured to be free of water and oil to prevent contamination by miscellaneous bacteria.
Note that the frying time of tofu should not be too long. When the surface of Maodoufu turns golden, it should be taken out in time.
If you like a more tender taste, you can use the method of double frying. First fry it at a higher oil temperature until the surface is set, and then fry it again at a lower oil temperature. In this way, the inside can be kept tender and the skin is crispy.
When frying Maodoufu, control the oil temperature. Generally, it is more appropriate to be around 70% heat.
After fermentation and cutting, tofu should maintain a certain degree of firmness to avoid being too loose.
If the texture of tofu is relatively soft, you can use kitchen paper towel to absorb excess moisture before frying.
Ensure that the tofu fermentation time is long enough so that the protein can be fully decomposed into various amino acids and improve the taste.
When cooking, pay attention to the combination and dosage of seasonings. You can add an appropriate amount of seasonings such as soy sauce, salt and sugar according to personal taste.
REVIEWS
