Bean Curd Salad Recipe

Bean Curd Salad Recipe

One 450g block soft (silken) bean curd (tofu), drained

Sauce:

3 tablespoons dark sesame oil

2 tablespoons soy sauce

1 tablespoon Chinese black or balsamic vinegar

1 tablespoon rice wine or dry sherry

2 teaspoons hot bean paste

½ teaspoon sugar

1 tablespoon minced Sichuan preserved vegetable,

  soaked for about 10 minutes, rinsed

2 scallions, white and green parts, trimmed and minced

¼ cup roasted salted cashews, lightly crushed into tiny pieces

Method:

Place the bean curd on a serving plate.  Cut it in half horizontally.  Cut each half into quarters crosswise, then in the other direction into thirds, so you have 12 cubes in each layer, or 24 cubes in all.  Pour off any liquid.  To make the sauce, mix the sesame oil, soy sauce, vinegar, rice wine, hot bean paste, and sugar in a small bowl, stirring to dissolve the sugar.  Pour the sauce over the bean curd.  Sprinkle the preserved vegetable and scallions over the bean curd, and then the cashews.  Serve immediately.  To quickly mince cashews, close them in a self-sealing plastic bag and then crush them very finely with an empty wine bottle or a rolling pin.  Of course you can use a knife, but this method contains the nuts and keeps them from jumping all over the chopping board.  This dish is a traditional breakfast dish that accompanies the rice congee that many Chinese eat in the morning.