Recipe for Braised Bream with Tofu
Estimated Cooking Difficulty: ★★★
Ingredients and Tools Required
- Bream (ask the vendor to clean and prepare it for you)
- Firm tofu
- Ginger
- Green onion
- Garlic
- Dark soy sauce
- Cinnamon stick (optional)
- Rock sugar
- Dried chili peppers (omit if you don't like spicy food)
- Cooking wine
- Light soy sauce
- Salt
- Star anise (optional)
- Bay leaves (optional)
- Hot water
Quantities
Note: This recipe serves approximately 2-3 people.
Per batch:
- Bream: 550 g
- Firm tofu: 400 g
- Ginger: 5 slices
- Green onion: Half a stalk (50 g)
- Garlic: 4 cloves
- Dark soy sauce: 2 ml (omit if you prefer a lighter flavor)
- Cinnamon stick: 1 piece
- Rock sugar: 5 pieces
- Dried chili peppers: 4-6 pieces (adjust according to your taste preference)
- Cooking wine: 5 ml
- Light soy sauce: 4 ml
- Salt: 5-8 g (adjust according to your taste preference)
- Star anise: 1 piece
- Bay leaves: 1-3 leaves
- Cooking oil: 10 ml
- Hot water: 400 g
Instructions
- Score the bream, then marinate with ginger slices and cooking wine for 5-10 minutes.
- Cut the firm tofu into cubes and set aside in water.
- Heat the oil in a pan. Add a pinch of salt to the pan to prevent the fish from sticking. Pat the marinated fish dry with kitchen paper, then place it in the pan. Pan-fry both sides until golden.
- Once both sides are fried, push the fish to one side of the pan to create space. Add the green onion, ginger, garlic, dried chili peppers, bay leaves, and star anise, and stir-fry until fragrant.
- After the aromatics release their scent, add the cooking wine, light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, rock sugar, and cinnamon stick. Pour in the hot water; the water level should be level with or slightly below the fish.
- Bring to a boil over high heat, then add the firm tofu. Place the tofu against the side of the pot, add the salt, and reduce the heat to low.
- Simmer on low heat for 10-15 minutes, then increase the heat to reduce the sauce. Serve immediately.
Additional Tips
- Pan-fry each side of the fish for 2-4 minutes.
- Maintain medium-low heat throughout the frying process.
- For enhanced flavor, sprinkle some chopped garlic over the dish just before serving.
If you encounter any issues or have suggestions for improvement while following this guide, please submit an Issue or Pull request.