Savory Chilled Tofu with Century Egg | 涼拌尖椒皮蛋豆腐

Some call it century egg, others call it the thousand-year-old egg, or millennium egg. In Hong Kong, it is simply known as pei-daan. However you call it, this most certainly isn't the ordinary egg you'd poach, scramble, or fry with.

Enveloped inside a translucent, soy-sauce colored, gelatinous egg "white" is a soft, gooey, greenish-black yolk - the ghastly color of gloom, one may say. The bouncy jelly-like exterior may not taste much of anything, but the dark center has the texture and sharpness of very ripe Camembert - creamy, pungent, with a heady, palpable whiff of ammonia. (Think your cat's urine. You get the picture.) Century eggs come covered in clay and rice hulls which, coupled with its somewhat misnomer of a name, does for a second appear like some dinosaur fossil excavated from an archeological expedition.

It is no wonder the century egg has proudly made appearance on TV shows like Andrew Zimmern's Bizarre Foods and Fear Factor, the daredevil game show where contestants were once pitted against each other devouring and gagging on whole eggs alone.

So what is a century egg anyway? Long story short, the century egg is a preserved egg, most often a duck egg, sometimes chicken, or even quail, cured in a mixture of ash, quicklime, clay, salt, and rice hulls for a period time between several weeks to months. It happens to be an age-old Chinese delicacy that is oh-so-yummy when smartly paired with something else, not unlike Roquefort complemented with a glass of Sauternes.

In Hong Kong, the century egg is most often seen in the ubiquitous breakfast congee (rice porridge) cooked with lean pork, or encased in pastry with sweet bean paste and a touch of ginger. In restaurants, it is frequently served as an amuse-bouche alongside paper-thin slices of pickled young ginger, or as a side dish smothered in a savory blend of chili, garlic, and herbs. The trick is to enjoy the century egg in small bits along with other flavors and textures, lest you'd probably gag on eating the whole thing plain.

Century eggs take on strong flavors well and pairs exceptionally well with tofu for a contrast in textures. Here we have a typical household recipe that many families keep with minor variations. One thing absolutely in common is that there are no skills involved whatsoever and the entire dish practically comes together in under 15 minutes. It celebrates a melange of flavors and textures - from the silkiness of chilled tofu, the juxtaposition of chewiness and creaminess of century egg (and its odor), the heat of peppers, and the sweet and savoriness of the sauce. Some would also top the dish with dried pork floss. Opt for either sugar or honey for the sweet element - I prefer honey for its floral hint and consistency. The resulting dish makes for a simple, classic side dish, ideal for the sweltering heat of summer!

What you'll need...
2 century eggs
1 block (400 g) silken tofu
2 Chinese long green peppers
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 bird's-eye chili, seeded and chopped
1 tablespoon oyster sauce*
2 teaspoons light soy sauce
1 tablespoon honey
1 teaspoon cooking oil
Spring onion, chopped
Cilantro, chopped

Note: For a vegetarian option, substitute with vegetarian "oyster" mushroom sauce.

Directions...
1. Peel century eggs and rinse with water. Cut into half-inch dice. (Have a glass of warm water ready while dicing the eggs - dip the knife in and wipe off with paper towel each time after slicing to avoid a gunky mess.)

2. De-seed long green peppers, remove pith and finely chop. In a nonstick pan, heat oil on medium heat. Sauté diced green peppers for 1-2 minutes. Add minced garlic and chili, cook until fragrant then lower heat. Stir in oyster sauce, soy sauce and honey. Season to taste, then set aside and allow to cool slightly.

3. Drain tofu, slice and arrange on a platter. Layer diced century egg on top and drizzle sauce mixture over. Sprinkle with spring onion and cilantro. Enjoy!

Tips 
- Press tofu with paper towel to extract excessive water content. If time allows, return tofu to the fridge for an hour before assembling.
- If pressed for time, skip the cooking process and mix the chopped peppers and garlic with the sauce ingredients and pour over tofu and century egg. Watch out for garlic breath though!

【 涼拌尖椒皮蛋豆腐 】

材料
皮蛋                           2 隻
盒裝蒸煮滑豆腐     1 盒
青尖椒                       2 條
蒜頭                           2 瓣
指天椒                      1 隻
蠔油                           1 湯匙
生抽                           2 茶匙
蜜糖                           1 湯匙
油                               適量
蔥                               適量
芫荽                           適量

做法
1. 皮蛋去殼洗淨，切小丁。建議準備一杯溫水，當刀沾到蛋黃時可沾水再用廚房紙抹乾淨，切皮蛋時會分外整齊。
2. 蒜瓣剁碎。尖椒和辣椒分別去囊去籽再切細粒備用。蔥和芫荽切粒。
3. 開中慢火，易潔鍋入面下少許油，油熱後先放尖椒碎兜炒約 1 – 2 分鐘至出味，然後加入蒜末和辣椒碎略為炒勻。
4. 調到慢火，倒入蠔油、生抽和蜜糖拌勻再作適當調味即可關火。稍微放涼備用。
5. 滑豆腐擠出多餘水份後切片。鋪上皮蛋粒、淋上煮好的醬汁、再撒上蔥花和芫荽即成！喜歡的話，更可加肉鬆！

小貼士
1. 滑豆腐擠乾水份後 , 放入大碗內蓋上保鮮紙放入冰箱冷藏1小時，效果更佳。
2. 如不想開爐火，可以免卻炒尖椒、辣椒及蒜頭的步驟，直接跟醬汁拌勻再淋在豆腐和皮蛋上。個人認為用炒的方法比較香及好吃，且能避免生蒜所引起的「口氣」。

[Follow me on Instagram @alvinckl and @alvin.penthousekitchen and check out my Facebook Fan Page!]