truly delicious hakka masterpiece
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delightful stuffed condiments in flavourful taucu sauce
–
wonderfully shallow-fry, preserving the fresh crunchiness of the vegetables
–
quick braised with aromatic taucu paste
–
prefect for a meal by itself or pair with other dishes
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–
RɛsɪpI
Hakka Yong Tau Foo (客家酿豆腐)
–
Ready : 50 mins[ Prep : 30 mins † Active : 20 mins + Excl Soup ]
Serves : Flexible
Generic : Errr.. Pound/Mince, Mix, Stuff, Fry and Braise ?!?
Difficulty : Tedious
Printable Recipe
Fillings/Fish Paste
–
• Spanish Mackerel (Kau Yu). Gutted and fillet – most fishmongers will do this for you if requested. Keep the Bone, Skin and Head for making Fish-Stock.
–
• Optional – Minced Pork-belly – just a small portion (about 1/5 of the amount of the Fish Paste). This will provide a slightly firmer texture or U can skip this.
–
• Seasoning – Salt, Sugar and White pepper. All to taste.
–
• Paste texture – Cornflour and Ice-water. Paste handling – Saltwater.
–
Stuffing Condiments
–
• Bean Curd sheets, Tofu (White or Fried), Red/Green Chilli, Okra/Lady Finger, Brinjal (Eggplant) and Tofu Pok – both of these not in the picture.
–
Braising Sauce
–
• Ginger, Onion and Red Chilli – all sliced. Garlic – finely chopped. Scallion – cut to about 2 inches long. Taucu paste (Fermented bean paste ). Some Cornflour mixture as thickening agent.
–
• Seasoning – Salt, Sugar, a dash of Sesame oil, Shaoxing wine and White pepper. All to taste.
–
Preparing the Fish Paste
–
This is actually the most tedious part. The good thing is that you can do a large portion and keep it in the freezer for later. When the paste is done, this will be your filling for anything you wanna stuff, including forming them into Fishballs or Fishcakes. Get your fishmonger to do the gutting, fillet and chop the fish head off for you.
–
• Using a spoon, scrape the flesh off the fish skin, going along the grain – in the direction of the fish bones. Carefully feel for any bones and remove them (hardly any).
–
• Using a granite Mortar and Pestle (the VainD is a sucker for tradition..😀), pound the fish flesh, adding a little Saltwater as you go along and the fish flesh will gradually become stickier and stickier. Or you can mince the flesh with the back of a chopper, or even in a food processor (errr..not advisable, just not the same texture). Ultimately, what you want is a smooth gluey paste.
–
• In a large mixing bowl, add in the minced pork. Add all the Seasoning Ingredients – all to taste. Stir, mix and combine well in one direction. Gradually add Cornflour and Ice-water to get the right consistency – a smooth sticky glossy paste.
–
• Now for the most important part! Or what The VianD like to call “anger therapy”! Gather the fish paste into a ball and begin the throwing/slamming process. This will force the air out in the fish paste thus making it firmer and thus a springier fish paste. Repeatedly slam the fish paste – Oooo, I would say about 10-15 times. Don’t laugh – this is the key to making “springy” or “bouncy” fish paste. **Note : What is shown here is actually a little too firm, so do add a little more ice-water, it should be a little more gluey. You can test out your paste by dropping a spoonful into boiling water. When it floats, it’s cooked! Have a taste. You can add more seasoning, chop or pound more as needed. Set aside and let it settle a little while or if U have the time, chill it for an hour or two (help for easy handling).
Preparing the Fish Broth/Stock
–
Meanwhile, start preparing the Fish Stock. You can use this as your base soup to serve your “Yong Tau Foo” like what you would normally get from outside establishments. But in this case, The VianD uses it to prepare the braising sauce – U’ll see how this dish is being served in a rather different way. Set the Stock aside.
–
• Saute some Ginger slices, smashed Garlic and a few sticks of 2-inches long Scallion till aromatic. Add in the Fishhead, Skin and Bone and sear till lightly brown. Add water, bring to boil on high heat and then turn the heat low and simmer for 30-mins or so. Sieve and you should get a bowl of aromatic clean whitish Fish Stock. Set aside.
Stuffing the Condiments/Fish Balls
–
The VianD will not demonstrate how to stuff each Condiment but just explain in text. Prepare a small bowl of salted water – use this to clean up the edges and smoothen out the fish paste of the stuffing. Use a small butter knife to do the stuffing. The amount of paste to use varies, generally Chili, Okra and Brinjal require more filling. It’s important not to overstuff as they may tear/break during frying. This can be very tedious and time-consuming too, depending on ur skill – The VianD finds this process rather meticulous.
–
• Chilli and Okra – Slit in the center. Remove the seeds and stem. Stuff the paste into the cavity, making sure the fillings are full (but not too much) and firm.
–
• Tofu – Make a small slit in the middle and be careful not to break it up. Add stuffing gently. For easy stuffing, U can gently dig out a little of the Tofu flesh leaving a small indentation for the filling.
–
• Tofu Pok – Simply split the Tofu Pok into half and stuff it.
–
• Brinjal – Cut diagonally into 1-inch thick pieces. Slit the center to create a pocket and spoon in the stuffing.
–
• Fishball – Prepare some Saltwater. To form fish balls, wet your palm and put a handful of the paste in your palm. Then make a circle with your index finger and thumb. With your other fingers squeeze the fish paste through the hole. When it’s the desired size, then squeeze your thumb and index finger together to close the hole and slice off the ball with a spoon. Drop the ball into the hot Saltwater, this will cook and seal the outside of the Fishballs.
Preparing the Fried Beancurd Sheets/Rolls
–
Slightly dampen some Dry Beancurd sheets by wiping them with a wet towel. This will soften the Sheets, making it easier to handle.
–
• Beancurd Sheets – cut into 3-inch square size. Simply smear some of the paste (just a think layer) on one piece of the sheet, apply Cornstarch water to all four sides and then cover it with another piece of Beancurd sheet. Press firmly to get rid of any air pocket and seal properly.
–
• Beancurd Rolls – cut into a 3×5-inch rectangle size. Spoon some of the paste on one end of the sheet, apply Cornstarch water to the sides and roll-up firmly, making sure no air pocket and seal properly.
Shallow Frying The Stuffed Condiments–
While U can deep-fry everything which makes life alot easier. However, this method tends to over-cooked the Stuffed Condiments thus making them dry and wrinkle. What U really want is to cook the Fish Paste but leave the outer Condiments fresh and crunchy, especially the Vegetables. So, do this…
–
• The best way to do this is with a non-stick Pan. Heat up the Pan with about 1/2 inch of oil to medium heat. Pan fry in batches, with the meat side down – till golden brown. You may need to use a pair of Chopsticks or Tongs to hold the pieces in place. Drain excess oil by placing in colander or paper towel. Set aside. Take care to ensure that the stuffing is cooked without overcooking the veggies or they will start wrinkling.
Quick Braising
–
• On medium/low heat, start by sautéing the sliced Onion, Ginger strips and smashed Garlic until aromatic. Move everything aside, add a little more oil and add in the Taucu paste – saute till aromatic. Then add the Fish Stock (prepared earlier) and bring to boil. Add the Sauce Seasoning Ingredients. Add the prepared fried Yong Tau Foo, Scallion and Chilli, bring to boil again. Turn heat to low and let simmer for a min or two and U are done.
Serving
–
• What is being served here, is the braised version with aromatic Taucu sauce. A version that usually served at home as a standalone dish (hardly find it outside), mainly due to the extra time needed for the braising process. However, U will find this dish served in a few different ways in most eating establishments. Such as – 1) just deep-fried, doused in somekind of sweetened sauce or dipping sauce. 2) in a bowl of broth 3) and many a time, as a condiment to some Noodles dish.
Hakka Yong Tau Foo (客家酿豆腐)
–
Ready : 50 mins[ Prep : 30 mins † Active : 20 mins + Excl Soup ]Serves : Flexible
Generic : Errr.. Pound/Mince, Mix, Stuff, Fry and Braise ?!?
Difficulty : Tedious
Printable Recipe –
Guys, let me tell U, this gotta be the most tedious and meticulous dish I have ever tried..😅. Not because it was hard to prepare or anything like that but simply because it was The VianD first take on preparing this dish and it was really quite technical on the stuffing part..😅..well, at least for The VianD! Not to mention, the periodical intermission of stopping, washing the hands to take pictures for this posting !!! But in the end, The VianD gotta said, it was all good and worthed because the dish turned out beautifully delicious.
–
Anyway, a little introduction to this classic Hakka dish. Traditional Hakka Yong Tau Foo is a dish consists of Tofu cubes stuffed and heaped with minced meat (usually lamb or pork or a mixture of prawn/fish) and infused with some good quality “Mui Heong (梅香, soft, slowly aged threadfin)” salted fish. These stuffed Condiments are then fried – served dry with sauce or as a soup dish, or sometimes braised with Taucu paste or Fermented Black Beans. Variations these days, include the usage of various condiments, including Bean Curd Sheets and all kinds of Vegetables. Here is The VianD’s attempt on “Hakka Yong Tau Foo (客家酿豆腐)“. Be prepared for one of the longest post here and the most tedious cooking processes..😅 !!!
–
Anyway, a little introduction to this classic Hakka dish. Traditional Hakka Yong Tau Foo is a dish consists of Tofu cubes stuffed and heaped with minced meat (usually lamb or pork or a mixture of prawn/fish) and infused with some good quality “Mui Heong (梅香, soft, slowly aged threadfin)” salted fish. These stuffed Condiments are then fried – served dry with sauce or as a soup dish, or sometimes braised with Taucu paste or Fermented Black Beans. Variations these days, include the usage of various condiments, including Bean Curd Sheets and all kinds of Vegetables. Here is The VianD’s attempt on “Hakka Yong Tau Foo (客家酿豆腐)“. Be prepared for one of the longest post here and the most tedious cooking processes..😅 !!!
–
IngredientS
–
Fillings/Fish Paste–
• Spanish Mackerel (Kau Yu). Gutted and fillet – most fishmongers will do this for you if requested. Keep the Bone, Skin and Head for making Fish-Stock.
–
• Optional – Minced Pork-belly – just a small portion (about 1/5 of the amount of the Fish Paste). This will provide a slightly firmer texture or U can skip this.
–
• Seasoning – Salt, Sugar and White pepper. All to taste.
–
• Paste texture – Cornflour and Ice-water. Paste handling – Saltwater.
–
Stuffing Condiments
–
• Bean Curd sheets, Tofu (White or Fried), Red/Green Chilli, Okra/Lady Finger, Brinjal (Eggplant) and Tofu Pok – both of these not in the picture.
–
Braising Sauce
–
• Ginger, Onion and Red Chilli – all sliced. Garlic – finely chopped. Scallion – cut to about 2 inches long. Taucu paste (Fermented bean paste ). Some Cornflour mixture as thickening agent.–
• Seasoning – Salt, Sugar, a dash of Sesame oil, Shaoxing wine and White pepper. All to taste.
–
** Note : Just a dash/pinch of everything, if U prefer a stronger intensity of an ingredient/spice flavor, simply add a little extra of that ingredient/spice – no rocket scientific measurement here. Always taste your Seasoning !!! The trick is NOT the exact measurement, the trick is “to taste the Seasoning” and get ur preference balance of flavors !!!
–
InstructionS
–
①
Preparing the Fish Paste
–
This is actually the most tedious part. The good thing is that you can do a large portion and keep it in the freezer for later. When the paste is done, this will be your filling for anything you wanna stuff, including forming them into Fishballs or Fishcakes. Get your fishmonger to do the gutting, fillet and chop the fish head off for you.
–
• Using a spoon, scrape the flesh off the fish skin, going along the grain – in the direction of the fish bones. Carefully feel for any bones and remove them (hardly any).
–
• Using a granite Mortar and Pestle (the VainD is a sucker for tradition..😀), pound the fish flesh, adding a little Saltwater as you go along and the fish flesh will gradually become stickier and stickier. Or you can mince the flesh with the back of a chopper, or even in a food processor (errr..not advisable, just not the same texture). Ultimately, what you want is a smooth gluey paste.
–
• In a large mixing bowl, add in the minced pork. Add all the Seasoning Ingredients – all to taste. Stir, mix and combine well in one direction. Gradually add Cornflour and Ice-water to get the right consistency – a smooth sticky glossy paste.
–
• Now for the most important part! Or what The VianD like to call “anger therapy”! Gather the fish paste into a ball and begin the throwing/slamming process. This will force the air out in the fish paste thus making it firmer and thus a springier fish paste. Repeatedly slam the fish paste – Oooo, I would say about 10-15 times. Don’t laugh – this is the key to making “springy” or “bouncy” fish paste. **Note : What is shown here is actually a little too firm, so do add a little more ice-water, it should be a little more gluey. You can test out your paste by dropping a spoonful into boiling water. When it floats, it’s cooked! Have a taste. You can add more seasoning, chop or pound more as needed. Set aside and let it settle a little while or if U have the time, chill it for an hour or two (help for easy handling).
–
②
Preparing the Fish Broth/Stock
–
Meanwhile, start preparing the Fish Stock. You can use this as your base soup to serve your “Yong Tau Foo” like what you would normally get from outside establishments. But in this case, The VianD uses it to prepare the braising sauce – U’ll see how this dish is being served in a rather different way. Set the Stock aside.
–
• Saute some Ginger slices, smashed Garlic and a few sticks of 2-inches long Scallion till aromatic. Add in the Fishhead, Skin and Bone and sear till lightly brown. Add water, bring to boil on high heat and then turn the heat low and simmer for 30-mins or so. Sieve and you should get a bowl of aromatic clean whitish Fish Stock. Set aside.
–
③
Stuffing the Condiments/Fish Balls
–
The VianD will not demonstrate how to stuff each Condiment but just explain in text. Prepare a small bowl of salted water – use this to clean up the edges and smoothen out the fish paste of the stuffing. Use a small butter knife to do the stuffing. The amount of paste to use varies, generally Chili, Okra and Brinjal require more filling. It’s important not to overstuff as they may tear/break during frying. This can be very tedious and time-consuming too, depending on ur skill – The VianD finds this process rather meticulous.
–
• Chilli and Okra – Slit in the center. Remove the seeds and stem. Stuff the paste into the cavity, making sure the fillings are full (but not too much) and firm.
–
• Tofu – Make a small slit in the middle and be careful not to break it up. Add stuffing gently. For easy stuffing, U can gently dig out a little of the Tofu flesh leaving a small indentation for the filling.
–
• Tofu Pok – Simply split the Tofu Pok into half and stuff it.
–
• Brinjal – Cut diagonally into 1-inch thick pieces. Slit the center to create a pocket and spoon in the stuffing.
–
• Fishball – Prepare some Saltwater. To form fish balls, wet your palm and put a handful of the paste in your palm. Then make a circle with your index finger and thumb. With your other fingers squeeze the fish paste through the hole. When it’s the desired size, then squeeze your thumb and index finger together to close the hole and slice off the ball with a spoon. Drop the ball into the hot Saltwater, this will cook and seal the outside of the Fishballs.
–
④
Preparing the Fried Beancurd Sheets/Rolls
–
Slightly dampen some Dry Beancurd sheets by wiping them with a wet towel. This will soften the Sheets, making it easier to handle.
–
• Beancurd Sheets – cut into 3-inch square size. Simply smear some of the paste (just a think layer) on one piece of the sheet, apply Cornstarch water to all four sides and then cover it with another piece of Beancurd sheet. Press firmly to get rid of any air pocket and seal properly.
–
• Beancurd Rolls – cut into a 3×5-inch rectangle size. Spoon some of the paste on one end of the sheet, apply Cornstarch water to the sides and roll-up firmly, making sure no air pocket and seal properly.
–
⑤
Shallow Frying The Stuffed Condiments–
While U can deep-fry everything which makes life alot easier. However, this method tends to over-cooked the Stuffed Condiments thus making them dry and wrinkle. What U really want is to cook the Fish Paste but leave the outer Condiments fresh and crunchy, especially the Vegetables. So, do this…
–
• The best way to do this is with a non-stick Pan. Heat up the Pan with about 1/2 inch of oil to medium heat. Pan fry in batches, with the meat side down – till golden brown. You may need to use a pair of Chopsticks or Tongs to hold the pieces in place. Drain excess oil by placing in colander or paper towel. Set aside. Take care to ensure that the stuffing is cooked without overcooking the veggies or they will start wrinkling.
–
⑥
Quick Braising
–
• On medium/low heat, start by sautéing the sliced Onion, Ginger strips and smashed Garlic until aromatic. Move everything aside, add a little more oil and add in the Taucu paste – saute till aromatic. Then add the Fish Stock (prepared earlier) and bring to boil. Add the Sauce Seasoning Ingredients. Add the prepared fried Yong Tau Foo, Scallion and Chilli, bring to boil again. Turn heat to low and let simmer for a min or two and U are done.
–
⑦
Serving
–
• What is being served here, is the braised version with aromatic Taucu sauce. A version that usually served at home as a standalone dish (hardly find it outside), mainly due to the extra time needed for the braising process. However, U will find this dish served in a few different ways in most eating establishments. Such as – 1) just deep-fried, doused in somekind of sweetened sauce or dipping sauce. 2) in a bowl of broth 3) and many a time, as a condiment to some Noodles dish.
–
~~* EnD *~~
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All Text and Photographs are the property of The VianD unless otherwise indicated.
No part of the content may be reproduced without prior written consent from The VianD.
All Text and Photographs are the property of The VianD unless otherwise indicated.
No part of the content may be reproduced without prior written consent from The VianD.
Cooking with LOVE is FooD for the SOUL 
Great chinese recipe.
Thank you for sharing it.
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