Tofu stuffed with Fish Mousse 客家酿豆腐 Yong Tau Foo

INGREDIENTS :

- 3 fried tofu [soy bean cakes ]
- 3 large okra [ladies fingers]
- 1 bitter gourd
- 4 large red chilies
- 2 sheets soy bean curd sheets
- 2 cups peanut or vegetable oil

****************************

Ingredients for Stuffing :
- 1-1½ lb Spanish Mackerel or Herring fillets, cut into small cubes
- 1 tbsp cornstarch
- ½ tsp salt mixed with 4 tbsp water
- quarter tsp white pepper
- quarter tsp sesame oil

*********************

Ingredients for Stock :
- 4-5 cups chicken stock
- salt and white pepper
- 1 tsp sesame oil
- 2 stalks green onions, chopped
- 8 shallots, finely sliced and fried golden brown, for garnishing [optional]

******************************************

Ingredients for 'Special' Chili Dipping Sauce :
- 1 ripe tomato
- juice of 2 limes
- 6 cloves garlic, finely minced or ground
- 2-3 tbsp or to taste, hot chili sauce
- salt
- 1 tbsp cornstarch
- 1 cup water

************************

Cook's Note : Best served family style at the table - Arrange the stuffed ingredients on serving platters, heat chicken stock in the hot pot at the table - and let each diner 'cook' their choice of Yong Tau Foo [similar to Japanese shabu-shabu].

***************************************

To Prepare 'Special' Chili Dipping Sauce :
- Blanch tomato briefly in boiling water for a few seconds and plunge into icy cold water, discard skin and seeds and mash well
- In a small saucepan, add tomato, lime juice, garlic, hot chili sauce , and salt to taste, bring to a boil
- In a small bowl, combine cornstarch and water, add in, stirring to cook and thicken the sauce
- Pour into small condiment dishes, for each individual serving

*************************************

To Prepare :
1. Using a blender, puree fish fillets while adding salt water slowly
2. Empty into a mixing bowl, add sesame oil, white pepper and corn flour, mix into a thick paste
3. Slice bean curd sheets through the center, and stuff with fish paste
4. Slice ladies fingers and red chilies lengthwise, remove seeds and veins, stuff with fish paste
5. Slice bitter gourd into ½ inch thick slices, remove white core, and stuff with fish paste
6. Slice soy bean cake horizontally into halves, then make a cut across the lengths of each half to form a pocket, and stuff with fish paste
7. In a small stockpot OR at the table in a hot pot, bring chicken stock to a boil, add sesame oil, salt and white pepper to taste
8. Add the stuffed ingredients [Yong Tau Foo] into the soup, gently simmer, about 10 mins
9. Sprinkle with green onions and fried shallot just before serving - and don't forget the special chili dipping sauce!

********************************

Variation : Any vegetable suitable for stuffing can be used - squash, zucchini, baby eggplant, peppers, tomatillo and mushrooms.

[The English recipe is originated from http://www.malaysianfood.net/]