Doubly Eggy Steamed Tofu

This is a very simple and healthy dish that we like. Steamed silken tofu with two types of eggs – regular fresh eggs and salted eggs. There is a fairly interesting play of flavors and textures. The neutral blandness of the tofu against the saltiness of the salted eggs. The soft, creamy smoothness of the tofu amidst the firmer, custard-like lusciousness of the steamed egg, interspersed with dense, richly flavorful morsels of salted eggs.

Doubly Eggy Steamed Tofu

1 tube regular silken tofu [for this dish, I like to use the silken tofu in the toothpaste-like tube packing]
2 fresh eggs
2 salted eggs
chopped spring onions/scallions, green part only
½ to ¾ cup water or broth

• Start a steamer going so that the water is boiling by the time the tofu is ready to go in.

• Prepare the salted eggs: scrape off the layer of dark soil, and wash the eggs thoroughly. Boil them for about 10 minutes. Shell the hard-boiled eggs and cut into fairly small dices. Set aside.

• Cut the silken tofu into chunky cubes, and set aside.

• Lightly beat the fresh eggs and season with ¼ teaspoon sugar and pepper to taste. These are the only seasonings that will be going into the entire dish, so season well. No salt is added as there will (usually) be sufficient saltiness coming from the salted eggs*. Also, avoid over beating the eggs as this will create bubbles, and give the final custard a rather “holey” and rough texture.

• Add the water to the lightly beaten eggs*.

• Using a fairly shallow casserole dish or even just a regular round deep plate, layer the tofu at the bottom of the dish. Next, sprinkle the diced hard boiled salted eggs amongst the tofu pieces. Gently pour in the fresh egg mixture.

• Place the tofu in the steamer, and reduce heat to low*. Steam for about 15 minutes. Then, sprinkle the chopped green onions over the tofu, cover the steamer again and steam for another 5 minutes.

* Notes:
• The saltiness of the salted eggs can vary, depending on how “old” the eggs are. The longer the egg has been “steeped”, the more salty it will be. Freshly salted eggs will be significantly less salty. It’s impossible to tell from looking at the eggs when buying them how salty they will be. So, I usually taste the salted eggs after they have been hard boiled, and adjust the dish’s seasonings accordingly. If the salted eggs are somewhat less salty, I just add either a dash of light soy sauce or a pinch of salt to the fresh egg mixture.

• The texture and firmness of the egg custard can be varied by adjusting the amount of water added. For a softer, somewhat more “jiggly” egg custard, increase the amount of water slightly, but not by too much.

• If the heat is too intense during the steaming process, not only will it result in a “tougher”, overcooked custard, but also one with lots of tiny holes throughout.

• Another variation that we make, once in a blue moon, is the “triple eggy steamed tofu” – with fresh eggs, salted eggs, and century eggs. The latter is simply diced, like the salted egg, and also sprinkled over the tofu before pouring in the fresh egg mixture. This makes for an even more interesting intermingling of colors and textures. Not as healthy, but nice for the occasional indulgence.

Copyright © 2004 Renee Kho. All Rights Reserved.
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