Yong Tau Foo

Ingredients

Fish paste

• 500 gwhite fish fillet, mackerel or yellowtail
• 1 teaspoonsalt
• 1 teaspooncornflour
• 1 tablespooncold water
• white pepper
• 1spring onion, very finely chopped

To stuff

• 1block firm tofu, in triangles
• 6tofu puffs, slit open
• 2large red chillies, deseeded
• 1aubergine, in thick slices
• 6okra, slit lengthways
• 1bitter gourd, in thick rings

Soup

• 1.5 litresanchovy or pork stock
• 100 gsoybeans or dried anchovies
• salt and white pepper

To serve

• rice vermicelli or flat noodles
• sweet fermented bean sauce
• chilli sauce
• fried shallots and spring onion

Directions

1. Use a firm white fish with a good gelatinous quality. The fish must be extremely fresh. Discard any dark bloodline you find. Chill everything thoroughly before you start. Cold is what keeps the paste from breaking. Put the fish in a bowl with the salt. Mix it hard with your hand for two minutes.
2. Salt dissolves the protein and makes it sticky. Dissolve the cornflour in the cold water. Add it to the fish and keep working. Pick up the paste and throw it back into the bowl. The paste should become visibly tighter and glossier.
3. Add the white pepper and the spring onion. It should bounce when pressed. Keep working it if it is still soft. Chill the finished paste for thirty minutes. Preparing the vegetables takes some care. Cut the firm tofu into triangles. Cut a slit in each one without going through. Halve the chillies lengthways and scrape out the seeds.
4. Cut the aubergine into thick slices. Cut a deep pocket into each aubergine slice. Cut the bitter gourd into thick rings. Dust the inside of each pocket lightly with cornflour. That helps the paste grip and stay put.
5. Press the fish paste firmly into each pocket. Fill them generously and smooth the surface. A wet knife or a wet spoon makes this easier. Work through all the vegetables and tofu. Fry the stuffed tofu and aubergine in a little oil.
6. Fry them paste side down until golden. Making the soup is simple enough. Bring the stock to a simmer in a wide pot. Add the soybeans or dried anchovies for depth. Season it with salt and white pepper. It should taste clean rather than heavy. Add the firmest items in first. Bitter gourd and aubergine take longest. Add cooked noodles underneath if you want.
7. Scatter fried shallots and spring onion over the top. For the dry version, lift the pieces out of the soup. Serve them on a plate with noodles tossed in sauce. Serve the soup separately in a small bowl. Uncooked stuffed pieces keep a day in the refrigerator.

Technique

• The Hakka are a Chinese group whose migrations carried their food across Southeast Asia.
• Yong tau foo in Malaysia and Singapore has grown well beyond the original Hakka form and now includes dozens of stuffed and unstuffed items.

Substitutions

• Ready-made fish paste is sold frozen in Chinese shops and saves a great deal of work.
• Minced pork mixed with a little fish paste is closer to the original Chinese Hakka filling.

Variations

• Ampang yong tau foo in Selangor is served in a thick sauce rather than clear soup.
• A dry version tossed in sweet sauce is popular in Singapore.
• Some stalls deep fry the stuffed pieces instead of poaching them.

History

Hakka dish that substituted fish paste for the pork used in dumplings in China; carried to Malaya by Hakka migrants.

Frequently asked questions

What is Yong Tau Foo?

Yong Tau Foo is a main from Malaysia: tofu and vegetables stuffed with fish paste, served in soup or dry with sauce. Hakka dish that substituted fish paste for the pork used in dumplings in China; carried to Malaya by Hakka migrants.

How long does Yong Tau Foo take to make?

Yong Tau Foo takes 1 hour of preparation and 30 minutes of cooking. The recipe makes serves 4. It is rated medium to make.

What can I substitute in Yong Tau Foo?

Yes, within limits. Ready-made fish paste is sold frozen in Chinese shops and saves a great deal of work. Minced pork mixed with a little fish paste is closer to the original Chinese Hakka filling.

What is the most important thing to get right in Yong Tau Foo?

Use a firm white fish with a good gelatinous quality. The fish must be extremely fresh. Discard any dark bloodline you find. Chill everything thoroughly before you start. Cold is what keeps the paste from breaking. Put the fish in a bowl with the salt. Mix it hard with your hand for two minutes.