Susan's Savour-It!: Stinky Tofu 臭豆腐 (Chau Dau Fu)... Homestyle 😋

Stinky (smelly) tofu 臭豆腐!!! Once you've amassed tofu-eating frivolity, for the true tofu connoisseur you must go for the king 👑

White cubes age for days in a fermented brine made up of simply dried or pastes of shrimps or fish, garlic and cooking wine, or fermented milk and an addition of vegetables. Traditionally, the whole brine mixture is left to fester for up to six months in an open earthenware. Then the tofu cubes are rinsed, and left to dry before they are ready to be deep-fried into delightful putrid notorious stink bombs. The strong odour is mainly in the cooking, and it subsides quite a lot once the tofu comes out of the oil. This is an infamous Taiwanese or Hong Kong street food I would wait in line any day for, even hours at our crazy crowded Asian night markets than to ever attempt brining let alone cooking it at home... until now.

Soo.... I have been reading up on a bunch of Hong Kong cookbooks inspired from my recent Asia travel. A Chinese vegan recipe on chau dau fu caught my attention fast, as the only fermenting agent is fermented beancurd fu yu itself (which I already have in my fridge) and eliminate the strong fishy smell that compounds during fermenting and frying. And my family will never go for it. My husband actually ordered a portable induction burner to arrive during the aging process. He said firmly "you are frying that outside" with a wrinkled nose.

Well, as you will read on there was nothing to get all rattled up about. In fact, my twins, hesitant at first gave me the approval nod when they tried it, one bite after another. I will absolutely be making these again!

So, a bit of recent backstory. This is the real Taiwanese deal at Mei Nung Beef Noodle House in Markham. Several weeks ago, my kids were appalled by the aroma assault as we headed in (with their first hit at Mel Lastman Square's Asian Night Market passing by last summer which swore them off ever trying), and now they were walking into and immersing in it. They thought we were there for beef noodle soup but the main event (for me) was the fried stinky tofu. Their unrelenting chuckles and gags had me apologizing to the waitress, but they agreed it was less smelly when the generous dish arrived at our table. The smelly waft in the air from the back kitchen frying is what does many of us in. The twins each took a small bite and shook their heads no, my youngest left the restaurant to get some "clean" air leaving my husband and I too much to share, but we finished them.

The Taiwanese version has a crunchy fermented coating (airy inside) and has a sweet savoury oyster sauce to dip alongside pickled cabbage as a refreshing cold accompaniment. HK version is fried the same way but sauteed in the sauce to completely coat. Next time, I'll add a bit of dried shrimps to "enhance the flavour" 😄!

Fried Stinky Tofu at Mei Nung Beef Noodle House

This sans seafood recipe is such a great compromise to the authentic full-on flavoured fermented fried tofu. Not smelly frying, just smelled like frying if you get what I mean :) It can be vegan without the sauce or opting for a vegan oyster or just soy sauce. I prefer drizzling the sauce over top to keep some parts crispy.

Stinky Tofu Chau Dau Fu (Vegan)

Makes 12 pieces

400g firm tofu, drained

6 prepared fermented beancurd (fu yu), mashed with a fork

3 Tbsp. fermented beancurd liquid

2 Tbsp. Chinese cooking wine (such as Shaoxing)

1 Tbsp. rice vinegar

4 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 tsp. salt

Cold water to cover

2 to 3 cups of neutral oil, for frying

Note: look for fu yu brined in a jar in the Chinese sauce grocery aisle

Sauce:

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 tsp. grated or minced fresh ginger

1 Tbsp. oyster sauce (vegan option available)

1 green onion, finely chopped

1 tsp. cornstarch mixed in 3 Tbsp. water

Slice the tofu into 12 equal pieces, about 1/3" thick. Let drain for 1/2 hour to remove excess liquid.

120 year old heritage fu yu brand Liu Ma Kee

Take a 1L clean jar, add the fermented beancurd paste and liquid, cooking wine, rice vinegar, garlic and salt. Give it a shake. Now gently place the tofu slices, one by one into the jar to fit.

Add water enough to cover with one-inch head space in jar and seal with lid. Turn the jar bottom up and then top several times to mix well. Store in back of fridge for one week (do not be tempted to open).

One week later, remove jar from fridge (the water has turned cloudy and murky) and gently open lid. "The pleasant aroma is slightly funky, definitely garlicky with a wine undertone. Otherwise, nothing strong whatsoever. Reminds me of whiffing a jar of fu yu."

Watch my jar reveal after a week of fermentation

Gently remove the tofu slices onto a strainer to let dry for 2 to 3 hours. Place onto paper towel-lined plate to dry further. Discard jar liquid. Meanwhile, prepare your pot for deep-frying.

Heat a small pot over medium-high with 2 to 3 cups oil (cook in small batches to save on oil usage). Oil is ready when a wooden skewer inserted emits rapid bubbles shooting up around it. Gently place tofu in the oil, and cook 6 to 7 minutes until golden brown crispy. Remove onto clean paper towel-lined plate to absorb oil. Repeat with remaining tofu. Remove frying oil from heat and let cool completely.

Prepare sauce in a small pan. Ladle 1 Tbsp. frying oil in pan over medium heat; add garlic and ginger and cook for one minute. Add oyster sauce, mix with wooden spoon then stir in cornstarch slurry and mix well until thickened.

Arrange fried tofu onto a plate and slowly pour sauce over top. Garnish with green onions and serve hot.

Crispy on the outside and soft fluffy on the inside

FULL RECIPE: