紅燒豆腐雞油菌 Tofu and Chanterelles Braised in Light Soy Sauce
It’s season for Chanterelles again! I love all kinds of mushrooms, so the moment I saw these little golden gourmet fungi in supermarket, I decide to make this dish today. Chanterelles have distinctive and rich aromas that sometime the complex flavors are described as fruity with tone of apricot, or woody, nutty savory mushroom flavors depending on different species. It is perfect to be braised with tofu in a light soy sauce based soup for its wonderful tastes. The flavorful compounds of Chanterelles are all dissolved and released after being sauteed in pan, then braise with tofu so tofu fully absorbs the savory essence, making the dish a very delicious yet nutritious plate for not just vegans but gourmands, too.
Good to know: Chanterelles are packed with high vitamin C, D and potassium. Just like most of the mushrooms, these yellow, or golden fugi are great source of dietary fiber and great source of protein, copper, zinc, and vitamin B complex. Chanterelles cooking with tofu provide a good quality of protein source for vegans or any clean eating diet.
Ingredients:
- 50 g Chanterelles
- 150 g Tofu
- 2 tablespoon of *light soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon of sugar
- 1 dash of white pepper
- 2 pieces of scallion (about 2″ long each)
- 250 g of water
- 1 teaspoon of cornstarch (*optional)
The Cooking:
- Use a soft brush to clean each Chanterelle carefully especially under the pileus. These delicacy are hand picked in the wild so the gills may contain dust or other stuff from forest that you want to remove before cooking for a good mouthfeel. Do not rinse them under water since chanterelles will easily absorb water and become slimy when cooking.
- Bring a frying pan to medium heat, put chanterelles in and sautée for a few minutes until you smell the fragrance. For some softer spices you can also see moisture being released into pan. Continue frying until no more excessive moisture visible.
- Most of chanterelle’s flavorful compounds are fat-soluble. You can drizzle a bit olive oil now after all the moisture are gone and continue sautéeing for a couple of minutes to make the most of its flavor before putting in tofu. I like to have a light dish that goes well with these delicate mushrooms and tofu so I skip the oil frying part and add in water and tofu directly.
- Pour water into pan, add sliced tofu, all the seasons together. Bring water to boil then turn down to low heat with lid on and braise for about 15 minutes or when you see the soup is reduced to half. Discard the scallions.
- Slightly thicken the sauce by pouring the mixture of 1 teaspoon cornstarch and 4 tablespoon of water on the edge of the pan and stir gently until sauce thickens before turning of the heat. Remove tofu and chanterelles to a serving plate. Scoop the sauce, pour on tofu and chanterelles to serve. Garnish with sprouts as you desire.
*Comparing to dark soy sauce which has a thicker, fuller flavor, also darker color, light soy sauce here is used as complement for braising tofu and chanterelles, not to overtake the delicacy flavor.
*Thickening the soup with cornstarch is to create a glossy appearance for the sauce while making it easier to attach to tofu for a better seasoning. Unlike butter and flour, this will not disturb the delicate taste of the sauce. You can skip this step without thickening the sauce, too.
