Yong Tau Foo — My Father's Recipe
A memoir-style Hakka-leaning Yong Tau Foo: stuffed vegetables with a pork-and-fish paste lightened French mousseline-style with cream, finished in a clean stock instead of the usual soy bean soup. Adapted from my father, Sui Hing, of the short-lived Seng Heng stall.
Ingredients
For the stuffing
- 250 g fish paste (Spanish mackerel, yellowtail or threadfin)
- 250 g minced pork not too lean, ~20% fat
- 60 ml double cream, cold add gradually, up to 80 ml by feel
- 1 tsp chicken bouillon powder
- 0.5 tsp white pepper
- 0.75 tsp fine salt adjust to taste
The non-negotiable vegetables
- 3 large red chillies, slit and seeded
- 1 block firm tofu (about 300 g), cut into 6–8 thick rectangles
- 6 large fresh shiitake mushrooms, stems removed
- 1 medium bitter gourd, sliced into 1 cm rings, seeded
Optional but welcome
- 2 medium tomatoes, halved across the equator and hollowed slightly
- 1 medium Asian eggplant, cut into 3 cm rounds, slit
- 6 lady's fingers (okra), slit lengthwise
- 3 hard-boiled eggs, halved
For the stock
- 2 tbsp neutral oil
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tbsp Shaoxing wine (花雕酒)
- 700 ml good chicken or pork stock
- 1 tbsp light soy sauce
- 1 tsp dark soy sauce for colour
- 1 tsp oyster sauce
- 0.5 tsp chicken bouillon powder
- 1 tbsp cornstarch slurry 1 tbsp cornstarch + 2 tbsp water
- sliced spring onion, to garnish
Instructions
Make the stuffing
- In a large bowl, combine the fish paste, minced pork, bouillon, white pepper and salt. Using clean hands or a sturdy spatula, stir in one direction with force — slapping the paste against the side of the bowl, then folding it back to the centre. Continue for 5 to 8 minutes. The paste will start to look glossy, pull cleanly away from the sides, and hold ridges when you draw a line through it. The Chinese term is 起胶 — 'rising glue'. This is the texture you want.
- Add the cream in two or three additions, beating each one through fully before adding the next. Start with 60 ml; add more only if the paste still feels tight. The final paste should be smooth and pale, not split or loose. Cover and chill for 20 minutes.
Stuff the vegetables
- Score the cut surface of each vegetable piece very lightly with a knife — this helps the stuffing grip. For tofu, hollow the cut face slightly with a teaspoon. For mushrooms, the gill side faces the stuffing. For tomatoes, scoop out the seeds gently.
- With a butter knife or small spoon, mound stuffing onto each piece. Press to fill, leaving a slight dome on top. Don't underfill — the stuffing shrinks slightly when cooked.
Pan-fry
- In a wide, shallow pan (about 10 cm deep), heat 1 tablespoon of oil over medium heat. Working in batches, place the stuffed pieces stuffing-side-down first and fry for 2 to 3 minutes, until the stuffing is golden brown. Flip and brown the vegetable side for a minute or two. The pieces should not be cooked through at this stage — just sealed and coloured. Remove and set aside.
Build the stock and braise
- Wipe out the pan. Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil over low heat. Add the minced garlic and cook gently for 30 seconds, until fragrant but not coloured. Drizzle in the Shaoxing wine — it will sizzle. Let it cook for 10 seconds.
- Pour in the stock and bring to a simmer. Add light soy, dark soy, oyster sauce, bouillon and pepper. Taste — it should be deeply savoury but not heavily salty.
- Return the stuffed pieces to the pan, stuffing-side up. Spoon stock over each one. Cover loosely and simmer gently for 10 to 12 minutes, until the vegetables are tender and the stuffing is cooked through. The bitter gourd should still have a slight bite; the eggplant should be silky.
- Stir the cornstarch slurry to recombine and drizzle it into the simmering stock around the pieces (not directly on top of the stuffing). Swirl the pan to distribute. Cook for 30 seconds more — the stock should thicken to a light, glossy coating, not a heavy gravy.
- Scatter sliced spring onion across the surface. Serve in a shallow bowl, with the stuffed pieces arranged so each diner can see what's on offer, and the stock spooned around. Eat with rice or thin egg noodles.
Notes
A few things worth knowing: the cream is what makes the stuffing finer than a traditional Yong Tau Foo, but the amount is by feel — start with 60 ml and add only what the paste will absorb cleanly. The Shaoxing wine is non-negotiable; dry sherry works in a pinch but the dish loses something. The four vegetables I never skip are chilli, tofu, mushroom and bitter gourd. The stuffed pieces freeze well after pan-frying — cool flat, freeze on a tray, then bag. Drop them straight from frozen into hot stock and add 5 minutes to the simmer.