Fried Tofu with Stuffed Shrimp

For whatever reason, tofu is so underrated. Yes, high amounts of soy isn't good for you, but is anything in high amounts? I personally just love how versatile it is. You can steam it, pan fry it, or (my favorite) deep fry it. R&G Lounge, a well-known Chinese restaurant in San Francisco, serves it in the best way. They not only deep fry it, but they also stuff it with shrimp. Because I don't see this on many menus at other Chinese restaurants, I did what I always do -- make my own version at home (so I can make it and eat it whenever I want)!

Below is my take on fried tofu with stuffed shrimp. Hope you enjoy it as much as I do!

Fried Tofu with Stuffed Shrimp

Prep Time: 10 min

Cook Time: 30 min

Yields: 16 pieces

Tofu Ingredients:

• 2 packages of extra firm tofu (14 oz each)

• 3/4 cup cornstarch

• Canola oil (enough to fill about 1" of frying pan)

Stuffing Ingredients:

• ~6 oz raw, deveined shrimp

• 1/4 tsp ginger (grated)

• 1/4 tsp salt and pepper

• 1/2 tsp Shaoxing wine (Chinese cooking wine)

• 1/2 tsp cornstarch

Sauce Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup chicken broth

• 3 tsp oyster sauce

• 1 tsp sesame oil

• 3 tbsp cornstarch

• 3 tbsp water

Tofu and Stuffing Directions:

• Remove tofu from packaging and drain all liquid. Place tofu blocks on paper towel to soak up as much excess water as possible.

• Meanwhile, mince shrimp and place in a medium bowl. Add ginger, salt and pepper, Shaoxing wine, and corn starch. Using a whisk, mix (while mashing) all ingredients together. Place aside.

• Going back to the tofu, evenly cut each block of tofu into 8 pieces. Use a 1/2 tsp spoon to scoop out the center of each tofu. Careful not to break or crack around the circle. Discard the centers (or repurpose for a different dish).

• In a separate shallow bowl, pour in 3/4 cup of cornstarch. Coat each tofu with cornstarch.

• Using the same 1/2 tsp spoon, scoop shrimp stuffing and place into the center of each tofu.

• Fill up frying pan with canola oil (about 1" high) and turn up heat on medium high.

• Place each stuffed tofu in (shrimp facing up). Fry for about 5 minutes (or until bottom of tofu is nice and golden). Carefully turn over each stuffed tofu and fry for 5 minutes (or until bottom of tofu is nice and golden). Transfer to a plate with paper towel to soak up excess oil. Repeat until all stuffed tofu are fried.

Sauce Directions

• In a small sauce pan, heat up chicken broth, oyster sauce, and sesame oil over medium high heat.

• Im a separate small bow, mix together 3 tbsp cornstarch and 3 tbsp of water. Add to the sauce pan and mix all ingredients together.

• When sauce starts to bubble and thicken, continue to continuously stir. Remove from stove.

• Drizzle sauce over each fried tofu stuffed with shrimp. Serve hot as appetizer or with rice.