Stir-Fried Water Spinach with Fermented Tofu (炒通菜 Chao Tong Cai)

Ingredients

• 1.2 kg water spinach (kong xin cai / morning glory), whole stalks, washed and drained
• 2 garlic cloves, sliced
• 4–8 tbsp red fermented bean curd (nan ru) or white fermented bean curd (doufu ru), mashed to a smooth paste
• 8 tbsp neutral cooking oil
• 1 tsp light soy sauce
• 1 tsp sesame oil

Method

1. 1
   Set the wok over the highest possible heat and leave it until the surface begins to smoke. This is the prerequisite for everything that follows.
2. 2
   Add the oil and swirl to coat. Add the sliced garlic and let it sizzle for 10 seconds — it should colour only lightly at the edges.
3. 3
   Add all the water spinach at once and toss rapidly at maximum heat. The wok will protest with a violent burst of steam. Continue tossing without pause for 60–90 seconds. This is where the dish lives or dies: if the wok is sufficiently hot, the steam drives off and the spinach wilts to a bright, snapping result; if the wok is under-temperature, the spinach steams in its own water and collapses to a limp, discoloured mass.
4. 4
   Push the spinach to the sides of the wok, exposing the centre. Add the mashed fermented bean curd to the centre and let it sizzle for a moment, then toss the spinach back through it until every leaf and stem carries a thin, even coating of the sauce.
5. 5
   Add the light soy sauce and sesame oil, toss once more, and transfer immediately to a serving plate. Total elapsed cooking time should not exceed 2 minutes. The stems should yield a clean snap when pressed.