CHINESE GREENS WITH FERMENTED TOFU DRIED SHRIMP BUTTER
2 min readYou won’t find this dish at any other chinese restaurant in the world this is our homage to the classic recipe of stir-fried vegetables in a fermented tofu(a k.a.bean curd)sauce.My thinking,when designing our menu,was that the dish in its original form would be too much for our unsuspecting guests,as the fermentedtofu is what i would best describe as the chinese equivalent of a blue cheese having both a strong aroma and flavour.However,I believe it is important that we introduce unfamiliar Chinese ingredients to our guests,so here is your chance to sample fermented tofu in a subtle way along with dried shrimp,another ingredient that has a pungent aroma but is packed full of umami flavour,with a pleasing crispy texture
Serves 2
INGREDIENTS
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 peeled slice of fresh root ginger
30g Chinese cabbage leaves(see Chefs Tip)
30g Chinese chives,white stalks trimmed
30g gai lan(Chinese broccoli),blanched in boiling water for 2 minutes,then drained and refreshed in iced water
30g choi sum
30g baby pak choi
2 tablespoons shaoxing rice wine
5 tablespoons water
sugar,to taste
2 tablespoons sesame oil
2g spicy fermented tof
salt and white pepper
For the shrimp butter
100g unsalted butter
5g dried shrimps
1.For the shrimp butter heat the butter in a pan over a low heat until it begins to turn a brown colour
2.Take the butter off the heat,add the dried shrimps and leave to infuse
3.Add the vegetable oil to a hot wok and fry off the ginger briefly before adding all the vegetable
4.Deglaze the pan with the wine,then add the water
5.Season the vegetables with sugar and salt and pepper to your liking
6.Cook until the water has reduced by half,then add the sesame oil
7.Continue to cook until the water has nearly all gone and the vegetables have a glossy shimmer from being coated in the sesame oil
8.Transfer to serving bowls,spoon over the shrimp butter and dot the fermented tofu around the vegetables
CHEFS TIP
Dried shrimps are packed full of umami richness and can be used to add flavour to sauces,soups and many other dishes.