Blue Eye with Tofu & Pork

Name: Blue Eye with Tofu & Pork
Cuisine: China
Ingredients: 250 g (9 oz) blue eye, thickly sliced; 150 g (5½ oz) firm tofu, cut into 1 cm (½ inch) strips; 100 g (3½ oz) piece of pancetta, cut into lardons; vegetable oil, for deep-frying; 3 spring onions (scallions), cut into 4 cm (1½ inch) lengths; 2 red shallots, finely sliced; 4 cloves garlic, finely sliced; 4 dried shiitake mushrooms, soaked in warm water for 30 minutes, stalks removed, finely sliced; 1 tablespoon light soy sauce; 1 teaspoon sweet bean paste; 2 teaspoons sugar; 2 teaspoons oyster sauce; 250 ml (9 fl oz/1 cup) fresh chicken stock; ¼ teaspoon sea salt; 1 spring onion (scallion), cut into julienne; 1 handful of coriander (cilantro) leaves, finely chopped

Preparation info

Difficulty
Medium

Appears in

Balance and Harmony

By Neil Perry

Published 2008

About

This is one of my favourite dishes as the crisp texture of the fish and tofu are great with the pancetta and the complex sauce. I’ll occasionally swap the sweet bean paste for hot bean paste in this dish.

Ingredients

250 g (9 oz) blue eye, thickly sliced
150 g (5½

Asia
China
Main course

Method

Heat the oil in a wok or deep-fryer until smoking (180°C/350°F), and deep-fry the tofu until golden, then remove and drain on paper towel. Next deep-fry the blue eye until golden, then remove and drain. Drain the oil from the wok and wipe clean.

Reheat the wok with 2 tablespoons