The term "home-style tofu" implies that there's no fixed recipe.
Zhou Yan has eaten at countless Sichuan restaurants, and perhaps because of the word "home-style" the chefs' creativity is quite free.
Some add minced meat, some add pork belly, some add second cut pork, and he even got to eat some with beef.
The side dishes are even more varied: green and red peppers, wood ear mushrooms, garlic sprouts… it's basically a matter of adding whatever's in the kitchen that day.
The flavors are also incredibly diverse: some are savory, some are spicy, and some are sweet and sour.
And you know what? Each one has its own unique flavor, delicious and inexpensive.
What's in Zhou Yan's kitchen?
A piece of second cut pork, freshly cooked that morning, is the main ingredient for this home-style tofu.
Today, Zhou Yan plans to make a home-style tofu that's more like Twice-Cooked Pork with Tofu.
Based on the traditional twice-cooked pork recipe, tofu was added. He remembered this method from a hole in the wall restaurant in his previous life, using genuine second cut pork, and the texture and flavor had left a very deep impression on him.
Of course, the main reason was that he had filmed the detailed process in the kitchen and repeatedly watched the editing, so he had memorized it.
Zhou Yan also really likes the way to make home-style tofu with fish-fragrant sauce. He'll try it next time and see if he can make it taste the same.
Aunt Zhao volunteered to clean the fish.
Zhou Yan sliced the semi fat second cut pork into thin slices, using the same cutting technique as for twice-cooked pork with garlic sprouts. He cut the garlic sprout heads into small pieces, chopped the leaves into sections, and smashed the ginger and garlic before slicing them.
The tofu in the bowl was transferred to the cutting board, trembling slightly—it was a piece of soft tofu.
Many people prefer to use firm tofu when frying tofu; it's easier to shape, less likely to break, and absorbs flavor better.
But Zhou Yan prefers soft tofu, enjoying its crispy exterior and tender interior.
The tofu is cut into thin, even square slices; many restaurants cut it into triangles for a more appealing look.
However, in Jiazhou, people aren't allowed to cut tofu into this shape when making it at home; there are certain beliefs behind it. Zhou Yan didn't intend to challenge Aunt Zhao's bamboo whip.
He marinated the fish that Aunt Zhao had cleaned with scallions, ginger, and cooking wine. He heated a spoonful of rapeseed oil in a wok, sprinkled a little salt, and then added the tofu, slowly frying it over low heat.
With a sizzle, oil splattered everywhere. Don't rush to flip the tofu after adding it to the wok, fry until both sides are golden brown, then remove it and set aside.
Seriously, this tender tofu, despite its delicate appearance, still retained a certain firmness during frying.
Zhou Yan's first time frying tofu, and not a single piece broke.
Golden brown on both sides, the aroma of the tofu wafted through the air.
Zhou Momo had already brought over a small stool and was sitting down. Sometime later, she was standing on it, gazing longingly at the plate of golden-brown fried tofu. In her childish voice, she said, "Guo Guo, the tofu looks so pretty! Is it delicious?"
"Here, have a piece try it." Zhou Yan took a small dish, picked up a piece of tofu from the plate, sprinkled it with a little salt and pepper while it was still sizzling with oil, and handed it to Zhou Momo: "It's hot, wait until it cools down before you eat it."
What is this?
A simplified, homemade version of sizzling tofu.
Back then, there was an uncle selling sizzling tofu from a tricycle near the back gate of their university. His business was booming; there was always a long queue.
His tofu was crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, seasoned with a spicy and slightly numbing flavor. It was fried to a golden brown, with a slightly dry and fragrant surface, while the inside was as tender as egg custard.
It's said that with this skill, he moved around to various university back gates over ten years and bought three houses in Rongcheng.
Countless imitators have tried, but none have been able to surpass him.
Zhou Yan, being thick-skinned, chatted with him once while waiting in line. He said his sizzling tofu was better than others because he made it himself; his hometown was Xiba Town in Jiazhou.
Xiba tofu is quite famous, and tofu banquets are a unique specialty of Jiazhou.
Moreover, the seasoning he sprinkled on the tofu was a recipe he had refined over many years; some barbecue restaurants even got their seasoning from him.
Unfortunately, despite Zhou Yan's best efforts, he couldn't get the recipe and almost got beaten up by the uncle and blacklisted.
Zhou Momo sat on a small stool, her tiny hands holding a small plate. She blew on it gently, her eyes fixed intently on the tofu on the plate, swallowing hard countless times.
Aunt Zhao handed her a small spoon and said with a smile, "Eat it by scooping it out."
"Okay!" The little one took the spoon, carefully scooped out a corner, and put it in her mouth. Her eyelids lifted, and her delicate eyebrows arched.
Mmm—so delicious!
Crispy and crunchy yet soft and tender.
Her short legs wobbled as she scooped out another piece and put it in her mouth, her eyes crinkling with delight as she ate.
Zhou Yan, who was frying fish, glanced back at her and couldn't help but smile.
What a little foodie! She's not picky at all; she can eat a piece of fried tofu so happily. Anyone who didn't know better would think she was eating a dessert.
Zhou Yan felt that his skill in frying tofu was honed through frying crucian carp.
Compared to the smooth surface of tofu, frying crucian carp requires more precise control of the heat.
Zhou Yan used lard to fry the crucian carp. After frying two fish until golden brown on both sides, he poured half a thermos of hot water into them.
The key to a white fish soup lies in this step.
The hot water caused the soup to visibly turn white.
"Won't it be fishy if you just add water without anything else?" Aunt Zhao asked, watching from the side.
"I marinated it beforehand and then fried it in lard, so it won't be fishy." Zhou Yan replied with a smile, adding ginger slices and scallions to the wok, along with a splash of cooking wine.
"Your crucian carp soup is so white! Milky white! Why isn't my crucian carp soup as pretty?" Aunt Zhao exclaimed in surprise.
"You need to fry it in lard, and then prepare a pot of boiling water beforehand. Once the fish is fried, pour in the boiling water, and the broth will naturally turn white."
Zhou Yan explained with a smile, taking the piece of "Perfect Tofu" cutting it into two centimeters cubes, and adding them to the milky white fish broth. He then placed a piece of oak wood in the stove and simmered the fish broth over medium-high heat—a difference from the usual low heat for cooking fish.
While the fish broth simmered in wok, he started cooking the tofu in another.
A spoonful of rapeseed oil is added to the wok. The chopped second cut pork is first stir-fried until some oil and juices are rendered, the meat curls up, and the surface is slightly browned. Then, finely chopped fermented bean paste is added and stir-fried until the oil turns red. Ginger, garlic, and pickled peppers are added and stir-fried until fragrant. A spoonful of water is added and brought to a boil. The previously pan-fried tofu cubes are then added.
The broth bubbles and simmers, the aroma of meat filling the air.
After simmering for two or three minutes, the broth gradually reduces. Salt and soy sauce are added. The garlic shoots are added first, stir-fried briefly, then the garlic shoot leaves are added. A little cornstarch slurry is thickened and stir-fried briefly. The thickened broth coats the tofu cubes and meat pieces. A dish of reddish-brown, soft, and flavorful home-style tofu is ready to be served.
[A Delicious Home-Style Tofu Dish]
Zhou Yan raises an eyebrow. Not bad, not bad. A good review on the first try; it meets his expectations.
On the other side, the fish soup was simmering, turning an increasingly milky white, with tofu cubes floating and sinking in the broth, its delicious aroma filling the air.
"Guo Guo, what are you cooking? It smells so good!" Zhou Momo, having finished her pan-fried tofu, tiptoed and peered over the stove, trying to see what was cooking in the wok.
Unfortunately, she was too short; only two little braids peeked out, so she couldn't see anything, which made her very anxious.
"Come on, it'll be ready soon. Let's wait at the table." Aunt Zhao picked up the home-style tofu, took Zhou Momo's little hand, and led her outside.
The seasoning for crucian carp and tofu soup is very simple; just add a little salt before serving. The key is its freshness.
This is also a common home-style dish, rarely seen on the menus of most Sichuan restaurants.
However, restaurants in Hangzhou often serve a fish head tofu soup, which uses the head of a silver carp. The method is roughly the same: first, fry the silver carp head in lard, then add boiling water to make the soup milky white, add tofu and simmer for a few more minutes. When it's served, it's considered a main dish.
The soup is flavorful, and the tofu is tender. He could drink several bowls of the soup alone, and it's also excellent with rice.
Once cooked, it's placed in a bowl, sprinkled with chopped green onions, and a milky white crucian carp and tofu soup is complete.
"Grandma! You're here!"
"Mom? How did you get here? Did you walk?"
Zhou Yan came out of the kitchen carrying fish and saw the old lady carrying a small basket coming in.
"It's just a short walk, nothing to make a fuss about. I used to walk everyday when I went to the market. Now it's even lunch time, which is perfect." The old lady said with a smile, glancing at the basin Zhou Yan was carrying. "After lunch, I'm going to see Lihua later. I ran into Sun Sanmei this morning, and she said her eyes were a bit red, so I decided to come here on a whim."
"Isn't that auntie who sells tofu? I feel like I haven't seen her in ages." Zhao Tieying said, somewhat surprised.
"Where does she live? Grandma, after you eat, I'll take you there." Zhou Yan asked, placing the soup on the table and looking at the old lady.
"It's in Shangshui Village, which is a bit far. You can take your grandma there this afternoon so she doesn't have to walk that far." Zhao Tieying said.
"Okay." the old lady nodded, putting down her small basket, which was full of eggs, with a large goose egg at the bottom.
Zhou Yan turned and went into the kitchen, bringing out another dish of braised beef with dried bamboo shoots.
The old lady drank a glass of water and was already sitting at the table. Seeing Zhou Yan sit down, she smiled and said, "Your crucian carp and tofu soup is really good. It's milky white and smells so fresh."
"Try it." Zhou Yan said with a smile, taking her bowl and first serving her half a bowl of fish soup and a few pieces of tofu.
"Guo Guo, I want some too!" Zhou Momo pushed her bowl towards him.
"Sure." Zhou Yan smiled and ladled half a bowl for her.
The old lady scooped a spoonful of soup; the broth was milky white, looking so comforting. She blew on it to cool it down before taking a sip.
Delicious!
This fish soup is so delicious!
The crucian carp's flavor has been fully infused into the soup. The taste is very simple, just a touch of saltiness and fragrance, highlighting the pure freshness of the fish.
The fishy smell has been removed perfectly. The worst thing for clear broth is if the fishy smell isn't masked; otherwise, the whole pot is ruined.
The soup has a mild yet rich flavor and a very good taste.
After drinking several sips, she felt warm and comfortable from the inside out.
She then had a piece of tofu, freshly cooked in the hot soup, still a little hot to the touch.
The tofu was incredibly tender, with a rich bean flavor, and had absorbed the flavorful fish broth perfectly, making it absolutely delicious.
Setting down her spoon, the old lady looked at Zhou Yan and praised, "Your crucian carp and tofu soup is absolutely wonderful! Not fishy at all, the broth is so fresh and delicious, the tofu is so tender, it's amazing!"
"The soup is truly divine! The same crucian carp, in your hands, has really lived up to its name!" Aunt Zhao also drank the soup, looking at Zhou Yan with admiration.
Zhou Momo loved fish soup, and she had cooked it for her many times before.
But compared to this bowl of fish soup today, what were her previous attempts?
The fish in the pot looked like it had died with its eyes wide open.
She used to think that crucian carp soup, since it didn't have chili peppers, couldn't be too salty, and didn't have pickled vegetables, was perfectly normal for it to have a slightly fishy taste.
The soup isn't white; it must be the fish—not big enough, not many enough.
But today she was watching Zhou Yan cook fish soup. The same two crucian carp, in his hands, turned into this pot of rich, white and delicious fish soup.
To be honest, Aunt Zhao was a little taken aback.
When her skills weren't up to par, her own family would praise her soup without any comparison, but today Zhou Yan had brought out this crucian carp soup.
"Ermm? Guo Guo, why is your fish soup different from Mom's?" Zhou Momo asked, holding a spoon and looking at Zhou Yan.
"How is it different?" Zhou Yan asked with a smile.
Aunt Zhao lowered her head and ate her tofu, feeling a little embarrassed. Zhou Momo was the one who ate the most of her fish soup, so she was the most qualified to say whether it was good or not.
Zhou Momo thought seriously for a moment and said, "Your fish soup is super delicious, Mom's fish soup is a little better."
"If you like it, drink more." Zhou Yan said with a smile. The little one, at such a young age, already understood social etiquette.
Aunt Zhao's lips curled up slightly upon hearing this. Well, well, her youngest daughter knew how to behave; it wasn't a waste of her upbringing.
Zhou Yan ladled himself half a bowl of fish soup.
[A pretty good crucian carp and tofu soup]
Wow!
This praise surprised Zhou Yan.
His first attempt at making it had received such high praise; it was truly unexpected.
He tasted the soup; it was indeed delicious, with a sweet aftertaste.
He then tasted a piece of tofu. This tofu was incredibly tender, melting in his mouth.
However, during the cooking process, it displayed a surprisingly resilient nature; even after simmering in the fish soup for eight minutes, it hadn't fallen apart.
The tofu, soaked in the fish broth, was tender, smooth, and delicious, with a subtle bean aroma.
Indeed delicious!
Zhou Yan felt it was no less delicious than the fish head tofu soup he had eaten at several high-end restaurants in Hangzhou in his previous life.
In fact, the tofu itself was even better.
Given this, the "pretty good" rating wasn't surprising.
The technique for preparing and frying the crucian carp came from using crucian carp with perilla leaves, thus preserving the broth's quality—it was flavorful and free of any fishy taste.
And this "perfect tofu" was the finishing touch, adding a touch of bean aroma to the broth and creating a truly delightful texture and flavor.
In this dish, the tofu wasn't just a supporting character to the fish; it was undoubtedly the star!
After pan-frying, the crucian carp doesn't fall apart easily. While the texture isn't as tender as the crucian carp with perilla leaves, it's still quite delicious after absorbing the flavorful broth.
This crucian carp weighs about 8 liang, so it doesn't have many bones.
Zhou Momo finished her soup, and Aunt Zhao gave her a large piece of fish belly meat, telling her to savor it slowly. The little one loved it.
Zhou Yan then tried a piece of home-style tofu. The tofu, pan-fried until golden brown on both sides, was coated in a thick sauce. One bite revealed a crispy exterior and tender interior, with a spicy and savory flavor that exploded on his tongue. The texture was exquisite, and the taste was truly excellent.
If he added a piece of twice-cooked pork and a garlic sprout leaf, the three in one combination would be incredibly delicious.
"Hmm, this home-style tofu is also well-cooked. The garlic sprout and twice-cooked pork bring out the meat's flavor." the old lady nodded, looking at Zhou Yan and asking, "But, were these two pieces of tofu bought from two different places?"
"You can tell the difference?" Zhou Yan looked surprised. The pan-fried tofu, cooked with such a strong flavor, had actually lost much of its original taste.
Because they were prepared in completely different ways, Zhou Yan couldn't actually taste the difference between the two pieces of tofu.
But the old lady actually noticed?
This genuinely surprised him.
The old lady smiled and said, "Next time, buy the tofu used in this crucian carp soup. This tofu is much better made. It's tender yet chewy, and has a rich bean flavor. It tastes a bit like Xiba tofu. The skill is comparable to your great aunt's."
"Okay." Zhou Yan nodded, then asked, somewhat surprised, "Great aunt's tofu-making skills are that good?"
This tofu was certified as "perfect".
The old lady smiled and said, "My uncle's family is from Xiba. My maternal grandfather's family has a long tradition of making tofu. Your aunt has helped make tofu since she was little, and her skills are even better than her brothers'."
"Later, she married into Shangshui Village. There happened to be a well in her village, so she started making and selling tofu, and business was booming."
"The soybeans she uses are all bought from Xiba Town. They're small-grained soybeans grown in the hilly soil, with a rich aroma and a slightly sweet taste, quite different from other tofu. They're similar to the ones you bought today."
"Then I must pay her a proper visit. If I ever sell tofu dishes in the future, I can just order directly from her." Zhou Yan said with a smile, this expands the food supply chain once again.
Zhou Yan estimated that if he used "Perfect" tofu to make home-style tofu, the rating of this dish would rise another level.
If the rating reached "Pretty Good," then Zhou Yan would consider putting this dish on the menu.
Tofu wasn't expensive, only twenty cents per jin. He only needed a small amount of meat, just enough for a meaty flavor and aroma, and priced the finished dish at sixty or seventy cents, resulting in a considerable profit margin.
Of course, if he could learn to make Mapo Tofu, that would be even better.
Home-style tofu, after all, had a home-style flavor, giving people the illusion that they could make it at home, so sales might not be as good.
But Mapo Tofu was different. As a famous dish in Rongcheng, it had a well-established reputation and a prestigious brand.
Even his Master couldn't make Mapo Tofu well; if Zhou Yan wanted to learn, he would have to find a way himself.
After lunch, the tables were cleared, and customers began to arrive one after another. The old lady looked at the newly added braised beef on the menu with some surprise, but she didn't ask anything and silently walked to the door to watch Zhou Miao cut the cold dishes.
The newly launched braised beef successfully attracted the customers' attention.
Now, Zhou Erwa Restaurant is no longer the place it once was, where new dishes were met with skepticism. Its reputation has been built on the word of mouth of its dishes. Now, customers are more excited about new dishes and eager to try them.
"Aunt Zhao, we'd like a serving of braised beef, a serving of spicy stir-fried pork liver, and a serving of stir-fried pork cracklings with cabbage."
"We'd like to try a serving of braised beef too."
The customers sat down, and one after another, they ordered braised beef.
One serving after another, braised beef was served.
At Zhou Erwa Restaurant, braised dishes are priced the same whether sold by the portion or by weight, which reassured the customers.
After all, in many restaurants, dishes sold by the portion are generally more expensive.
"Mmm! This braised beef smells so good! It's so chewy."
"Perfect with drinks! Too bad I can't drink at work."
"Three yuan and fifty cents a jin, that's quite cheap. Last time I went to Jiazhou, I saw they were selling braised beef for six or seven yuan a jin."
"That's normal. Before, beef sold for two yuan a jin. One jin of raw beef yields six liang of braised meat, so even selling it for six yuan wouldn't make much profit."
"If beef prices hadn't dropped today, I doubt Boss Zhou would have dared to put braised beef on the menu."
The customers whispered among themselves, with mostly positive reviews of the braised beef.
The price of three yuan and fifty cents a jin was quite acceptable.
Beef is obviously expensive, but with reasonable costs and good taste, satisfaction naturally increases.
The old lady asked Zhou Miao to cut her a piece of beef, which she then slowly chewed. After swallowing, a smile appeared on her face, and she whispered, "Zhou Yan really has some talent; this braised beef is much better than the last two times."
"That's because Mom taught him well. If you ask me, it's still a little inferior to yours." Zhou Miao said with a smile.
"That's about right. Sometimes I can't even braise it to this level." the old lady said with a smile, shaking her head, her face full of satisfaction. "He's really diligent and hardworking, and it's good that he's passed on this skill."
"He's been much more settled lately." Zhou Miao nodded in agreement.
"Cut me half a jin of fatty pig's head meat. Lihua loves my braised pig's head meat the most. I rushed over this morning, so I didn't have time to buy a pig's head." the old lady said.
"Okay." Zhou Miao replied, picking out a piece of seven-tenths fat pig's head meat, quickly slicing it, and putting it into an oil paper bag.
The old lady took out her embroidered purse, counted out one yuan and thirty cents, and tossed it into the money box beside.
"Mom, what are you doing? Why are you taking out money?" Zhou Miao asked, a little impatiently.
"What are you yelling about? You're just a chopping board operator, how can you be the boss? I bought braised meat as a gift, and it's not my idea to give it away without paying." The old lady rolled her eyes at him, took the neatly tied brown paper bag in her hand, and said with a smile, "Just cut your braised meat properly and stop yelling."
Zhou Miao looked helpless, and when a customer ordered braised pig ears, he got busy again.
After closing at noon, four jin of the ten jin of braised beef prepared had already been sold.
The peak sales period for braised meat is around the time the factory closes for the evening.
Eighty percent of the braised meat is sold within that one hour, all by customers taking it home.
"Grandma, come on, let's go see Auntie." Zhou Yan unpacked his two baskets and pushed his bicycle out the door.
"Come on, let's go." The old lady was already waiting at the door with a basket in hand. She stepped forward and helped Zhou Yan sit down.
"Go to the supply and marketing cooperative and buy a jin of rock sugar, don't go empty-handed." Zhao Tieying came forward and slipped one yuan into Zhou Yan's pocket.
"Mom, I have money." Zhou Yan smiled.
"Your money is yours, this is for you to buy rock sugar for my aunt." Zhao Tieying said with a smile. "Ride slowly on the road, your grandma is still carrying eggs."
"Okay." Zhou Yan replied. After making sure the old lady was seated properly, he rode his bicycle to the supply and marketing cooperative to buy a jin of rock sugar, and then rode north in the direction the old lady pointed.
"Grandma, what's wrong with Auntie's health?" Zhou Yan asked curiously as he rode his bicycle.
In his memory, he only remembered his mother once buying tofu and saying it was from his auntie; otherwise, he had no other recollection of that auntie who was skilled at making tofu.
After all, she was the old lady's cousin. Many of them didn't survive to his parents' generation, let alone Zhou Yan's generation.
"She was frail from a young age, and her husband passed away early. She raised her children by grinding tofu." The old lady said with a touch of heartache, "As the saying goes, there are three hardships in life: rowing a boat, blacksmithing, and grinding tofu."
"She would get up in the middle of the night to grind soybeans and make tofu, and then carry it to town to sell at dawn. Sometimes she wouldn't be home until the next day."
"She has many illnesses, all caused by overwork."
Zhou Yan remained silent upon hearing this. This piece of white and tender tofu was hardly something one would expect, as it was a profession comparable to the arduous trades of rowing a boat and blacksmithing. He asked, "She's so old, shouldn't she retire?"
"Retire? I'm afraid she'll never have that chance." the old woman sighed, and fell silent.
The bicycle turned onto a country road, riddled with potholes, much worse than the roads in Zhou Village. Zhou Yan rode cautiously.
"It's that house in front, half of it collapsed." the old woman said.
Zhou Yan looked ahead and saw a rammed earth house by the roadside. Half of it had collapsed and was covered with tarpaulin and thatch. The remaining half also looked like it was about to collapse. It might not be able to withstand the rainy season next year.
Zhou Yan stopped his bicycle, picked up a bag of rock sugar, and knocked on the door.
The old woman stood beside him, carrying eggs and braised meat.
"Laifu, go open the door." a frail voice came from inside.
Then came a series of light footsteps.
The door latch was pulled open, and Zhou Yan, smiling, looked at the young man standing inside, then froze.
It was him?
…