Yong Tau Foo: Hakka Stuffed Tofu (酿豆腐)

Ingredients

• 600 g firm tofu, not silken or medium; drained
• For the fish paste
• 400 g fresh ground fish, grass carp or yellowfish preferred; ground fine
• 1 tsp fine salt
• ½ tsp ground white pepper
• 1 tsp sesame oil
• For the broth
• 500 ml chicken stock, light; unsalted or lightly salted
• 1 tbsp thin soy sauce
• 1 tsp sesame oil
• To finish
• 2 spring onions, finely sliced
• ¼ tsp ground white pepper
• For the dipping sauce
• 2 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tsp sesame oil
• 1 tsp chilli paste
• 2 tbsp neutral cooking oil, for pan-frying

Method

1. 1
   Combine the ground fish with the salt, white pepper, and sesame oil. Work the mixture vigorously — by hand or in a bowl using a stiff spatula — until the proteins develop a sticky, elastic network that pulls away cleanly from the sides and clings to itself. To test readiness: drop a small ball of paste into cold water. It must hold together for 30 seconds before beginning to soften. Under-mixed paste fails this test and will not adhere in the cavity; continue working until it passes.
2. 2
   Cut the block of firm tofu into triangles of roughly equal size. Using a wet thumb, press a deep hollow into the cut face of each triangle while steadying the block with the other hand. The hollow must reach close to the base without piercing it; maintain a minimum wall thickness of 1 cm on all sides. Walls thinner than this will crack under the weight of the filling and the stress of heat.
3. 3
   Fill each hollow with a heaped tablespoon of fish paste. Press it firmly into the cavity with a wet spoon, ensuring full contact with the tofu walls. The surface of the paste should dome slightly and show no gaps at the edges. Paste that is not firmly pressed will separate from the cavity during frying.
4. 4
   This is where the dish lives or dies: heat the oil in a wide pan until it shimmers visibly — it must be hot before any piece is placed. Lay each stuffed triangle fill-side down. Do not move the pieces. Fry until the paste face is deeply golden and releases cleanly from the pan surface; a pale or torn paste face cannot be recovered and is the most common failure of the dish. Turn each piece once only; the tofu skin colours simultaneously on the second side.
5. 5
   Combine the chicken stock, thin soy, and sesame oil in the pan. Bring to a gentle simmer and return all seared pieces to the broth. Cook for five minutes; the broth enters the tofu slightly, softening the interior, while the seared exterior holds its structure. The pieces are done when the tofu feels yielding at its centre when pressed lightly but the paste crust remains intact.
6. 6
   Transfer the pieces to a serving vessel and ladle the broth over them. Scatter with sliced spring onion and white pepper. Serve the dipping sauce — soy, sesame oil, and chilli paste — alongside.