Equipment
Ingredients
Tofu Preparation
- 250 g firm tofu, drained
- 15 g cornstarch
- 30 ml vegetable oil
Aromatics & Vegetables
- 200 g escarole, washed, dried, and roughly chopped
- 10 g garlic, finely minced
- 10 g ginger, finely minced
Hot & Sour Sauce
- 30 ml light soy sauce
- 30 ml chinkiang vinegar
- 15 g granulated sugar
- 15 ml chili oil
- 45 ml vegetable stock
- 5 g cornstarch
Nutrition (per serving)
Method
Wrap the firm tofu in paper towels and press gently with a heavy object for 10 minutes to extract excess water.
Cut the pressed tofu into uniform 2cm cubes.
Toss the tofu cubes in a mixing bowl with 15g of cornstarch until fully and evenly coated.
Combine the light soy sauce, Chinkiang vinegar, granulated sugar, chili oil, vegetable stock, and 5g of cornstarch in a small mixing bowl. Whisk until the sugar and cornstarch are completely dissolved.
Heat 15ml of vegetable oil in a wok over medium-high heat until it reaches approximately 190°C/375°F. Add the coated tofu cubes.
Pan-fry the tofu for 5 minutes, turning occasionally, until golden brown and crispy on all sides. Transfer the tofu to a plate lined with paper towels.
Add the remaining 15ml of vegetable oil to the wok along with the minced garlic and ginger. Stir-fry for 30 seconds until highly fragrant.
Add the chopped escarole to the wok. Stir-fry continuously for 1 minute until the leaves just begin to wilt but the stalks remain crunchy.
Return the crispy tofu to the wok. Give the prepared sauce a quick stir to re-incorporate the settled cornstarch, then pour it over the tofu and escarole.
Toss all ingredients together for 1 minute as the sauce comes to a boil. Remove from heat once the sauce thickens and forms a glossy glaze coating the tofu and greens.
Transfer immediately to a serving platter and serve hot.
Chef's Notes
- Escarole is not native to traditional Chinese cuisine, but it brilliantly replicates the bitter profile of Chinese mustard greens (gai choy) while requiring significantly less cooking time.
- Chinkiang vinegar is an aged black rice vinegar crucial for achieving an authentic flavor profile. Its malty, slightly sweet depth cannot be replicated by standard white or rice vinegar.
- Always give your starch-thickened sauce a thorough stir immediately before pouring it into the wok, as cornstarch settles to the bottom of the bowl quickly.
- For maximum wok hei (breath of the wok), ensure your ingredients are thoroughly dried before cooking. Any excess water on the escarole will drastically drop the wok's temperature and cause steaming.
Storage
Refrigerator: 3 days — Escarole will lose crispness and tofu will soften upon refrigeration.
Reheating: Reheat rapidly in a wok or skillet over high heat to refresh textures, rather than microwaving.
