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1
Set the tofu in a fine-mesh sieve over a bowl. Leave to drain for 30 minutes at room temperature. The surface should feel firm enough to hold a cube's edge without slumping; no puddle should form beneath it when transferred to the plate.
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2
Shell the preserved eggs and inspect each one. The white must be a clear dark-green to amber gel; the yolk a creamy, grey-green centre. Any sharp ammonia smell on cutting indicates an inferior egg — discard and replace. Chop into rough 1 cm pieces.
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3
Turn the drained tofu onto a cold serving plate and cut into even cubes of approximately 3 cm. Scatter the chopped preserved egg evenly across the surface. This is where the dish lives or dies: the egg must be fresh, the tofu dry, and the two must meet on the plate only at the last possible moment — once dressed, the tofu begins to weep water and the window closes.
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4
Dress in order — spoon the soy sauce and sesame oil over first, then the chilli oil. The surface should glisten with a thin, unified coat; pooling at the base signals over-dressing.
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5
Scatter the spring onion, then the crushed peanuts. Serve immediately. The contrast of silken white tofu against the dark-green preserved egg should be visible and distinct — if the colours have begun to bleed together, the dish has waited too long.