Soy-Braised Tofu With Bok Choy

Ingredients

• Tofu

  Firm, prepared with calcium sulfate and magnesium chloride (nigari)

  14 oz or 397g

• Oil

  Submarine Sandwich - Wegmans

  100g

• Salt

  Table

  1 dash or 0.4g

• Pepper

  Spices, black

  1 dash or 0.1g

• Garlic

  Raw

  2 cloves, minced or 6g

• Ginger

  Spices, ground

  100g

• Scallions

  Spring onions or scallions (includes tops and bulb), raw

  4 medium or 60g

• Red bell pepper

  Sweet, raw

  1 medium or 119g

• Wine

  Alcoholic beverage, dessert, sweet

  ⅓ fl oz or 10g

• Bok Choy

  1/2 head raw - Whole Foods Market

  400g

• Rice noodles

  Dry

  100g

• Soy sauce

  Regular sodium, Shoyu

  2 tbsp or 32g

• Oyster sauce

  Ready-to-serve

  1 tbsp or 18g

• Cornstarch

  1 tsp or 3g

• Sugar

  White, granulated sugar

  ½ tsp or 2g

• Chili Oil

  Lee Kum Kee

  1 tbsp or 100g

Directions

1. Cut tofu across into 3/4-inch-thick slices, then cut each slice in half so you have roughly 12 squares.
2. Heat a large (12-inch), deep-sided nonstick or well-seasoned cast-iron skillet on medium-high. When hot, add 1 tablespoon of oil and swirl to coat the base. Place the tofu in a single layer, season each piece with a little salt and black pepper, and fry for 3 to 4 minutes until golden and crispy. Flip and cook on the other side for 3 to 4 minutes more, adding more oil if needed. Remove tofu from the skillet and set aside on a plate.
3. Make the sauce: Combine the soy sauce, vegetarian stir-fry sauce or oyster sauce, cornstarch and sugar with 1/3 cup of water. Whisk until smooth.
4. In the same skillet over medium heat, add the doubanjiang or chile oil (if you're using doubanjiang, add about 1 teaspoon of neutral oil) and stir for 15 seconds. Add the garlic, ginger and white parts of the scallion, and toss for 1 to 2 minutes, until the scallions are softened and everything is fragrant. If the pan starts to look dry, add a drop of oil.
5. Add the bell pepper and Shaoxing wine, if using, and stir-fry for 2 to 3 minutes until slightly softened. Pour in the seasoning sauce and let it sizzle for 30 seconds, stirring once or twice.
6. Add the baby bok choy, tofu and green parts of the scallion, toss gently to coat the tofu. Let it simmer on low heat for 1 to 2 minutes until the sauce thickens, the baby bok choy is wilted but still green and crisp-tender, and the tofu has absorbed some of the sauce. Serve with rice or noodles.
7. Original recipe by: Hetty Lui McKinnon (source: cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1023301-soy-braised-tofu-with-bok-choy)