Kamil Perry
Fish tofu is a versatile dish that can be steamed, stir-fried, boiled, microwaved, or deep-fried. It is a popular ingredient in tteokbokki due to its unique bouncy texture and protein content. To make fish tofu, ground fish, shrimp, and tapioca starch are typically used, although potato starch can also be used. The dish can be seasoned with ginger, green onions, and Sichuan peppercorns, and served with sambal chilli. For a Thai twist, lemongrass, kaffir lime leaves, or red curry paste can be added. When stir-frying, it is recommended to add vegetables and a desired sauce. When deep-frying, it is important to preheat the oil to 170-180°C and cook the fish tofu until golden brown.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Ingredients | Fish, tofu, shrimp, cheese, starch, eggs, scallion, ginger, green onions, white pepper, sugar, soy sauce, vegetable oil, salt |
| Preparation | Make a paste from fish, tofu, and other ingredients; roll in tofu skin; steam; fry |
| Cooking Methods | Steam, boil, stir-fry, microwave, deep-fry |
| Serving Suggestions | Serve hot with rice and vegetables, or in soups, noodle dishes, or on its own; can be served with sweet chilli sauce or sambal chilli |
| Storage | Place in an airtight container or freezer bag in a single layer and freeze |
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What You'll Learn
Preparing the fish paste
Next, prepare your aromatics. A traditional Chinese combination is scallion and ginger, which can be blended with the fish to remove any raw taste. Squeeze the scallion and ginger to ensure the water absorbs the juice from the aromatics, creating a broth. You can also add shrimp to enhance the flavour. For a Thai twist, include lemongrass, kaffir lime leaves, or red curry paste.
Now, it's time to blend. Place the chopped fish in a food processor with the scallion and ginger broth. Blend until a paste begins to form. If you don't have a food processor, a blender will also work. Transfer the fish paste to a large bowl and add your additional ingredients. This can include an egg, salt, sugar, white pepper, starch (cornstarch, potato, or tapioca starch), and soy sauce. Mix thoroughly in one direction until the paste becomes sticky.
Finally, prepare your tofu skin. If using Japanese tofu skin, it will need to be moistened as it is very fragile. Chinese tofu skin is more durable and not as crispy, so it is easier to handle. Place the tofu skin on a bamboo sushi rolling mat and soften the sheet with a damp kitchen paper. Now you are ready to assemble your fish cake!
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Rolling the tofu skin
Preparing the Tofu Skin
Place the tofu skin sheet on a bamboo sushi rolling mat. If you are using Japanese tofu skin, it is crucial to moisten it with a wet kitchen paper as it is more delicate and fragile. Chinese tofu skin, on the other hand, is more durable and easier to handle, but it has a slightly bitter taste.
Spreading the Fish Paste
Spread the fish paste evenly over the tofu skin. You can prepare the fish paste by blending fish, shrimp, and seasonings. A traditional Chinese cooking tip is to use scallion and ginger to remove the raw taste from the fish. Additionally, adding an egg and starch will make the fish paste springier and enhance its texture.
Adding the Fillings
Place spinach leaves and shiitake mushrooms on top of the fish paste. You can prepare the shiitake mushrooms by cooking them with flavourings until the liquid is almost evaporated. The spinach leaves and mushrooms will create a beautiful pattern inside the steamed fish cake.
Start rolling the bamboo mat from the side with the fillings. Before finishing the roll, wet the end of the tofu skin with a cornflour and water mixture to act as a glue. This will ensure that the roll stays closed during steaming.
Steaming the Fish Cake
After rolling the fish paste and fillings in the tofu skin, wrap the roll in the bamboo mat and steam it for about 20 minutes. This will cook the fish cake and give it a delicate texture.
Preparing steamed fish cakes with tofu skin requires patience and practice, but the elegant presentation and delicious flavour are well worth the effort.
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Cooking methods
Fish tofu is a popular ingredient in tteokbokki, a traditional South East Asian dish. It is typically made with ground fish, shrimp, and tapioca starch. The protein content of fish tofu makes the dish more filling and nutritious.
Steaming
Steaming is a common method used to cook fish tofu. To steam your fish tofu, place the container on a steamer or steam over medium-high heat on your stovetop for about 25 minutes, or until the fish tofu is cooked through and firm. Remove the container from the steamer and let it cool slightly before cutting it into rectangular cubes. You can also wrap the fish tofu in tofu skin, which is a Chinese or Japanese dried tofu sheet.
Frying
After steaming, you can fry the fish cakes over medium heat for 2-3 minutes on each side, or until they are golden brown and crispy. You can also shallow fry tofu fish cakes by heating oil in a wok over medium heat and frying the cubes until they are browned.
Boiling
You can also boil cheese fish tofu by introducing defrosted cheese fish tofu into a pot of boiling water and turning the heat to low. Simmer for approximately 3 minutes until the products float. If heating from frozen, simmer for approximately 5 minutes. Drain the water and serve hot.
Stir-frying
To stir-fry, heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a wok. Add defrosted cheese fish tofu to the wok with your desired sauce, vegetables, and accompanying ingredients. Stir-fry for 3-5 minutes on medium heat or until ready. Serve hot.
Deep-frying
Preheat oil to 170-180°C. Deep fry frozen cheese fish tofu for 2-3 minutes until hot and golden brown.
Microwave
Place defrosted cheese fish tofu in a bowl of water and microwave for approximately 1.5 minutes on high or until hot. If heating from frozen, microwave for 2-2.5 minutes.
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Serving suggestions
Cheese tofu fish cakes can be served as a savoury tea break item, with the cubes cut smaller for a dainty presentation. They can also be served as a main dish, accompanied by rice and vegetables.
If you're looking for a sauce to serve with the fish cakes, sambal chilli is a popular option, especially if you're aiming for a spicier flavour profile. Sweet chilli sauce is another option if you're looking for something sweeter. You can also serve the fish cakes with a ginger and green onion broth, made by soaking ginger slices and green onion whites in water.
Cheese tofu fish cakes can also be added to soups, stews, stir-fries, and noodle dishes. They can be cooked by steaming, pan-frying, boiling, microwaving, or deep-frying.
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Storing the fish cakes
Once cooled, place the fish cakes in an airtight container or freezer bag. If using a container, ensure the cakes are in a single layer. You can also wrap them in plastic wrap and aluminium foil or place them in a Ziploc-style bag. If stacking the fish cakes, separate each cake with wax or parchment paper.
Then, store the container or bag in the freezer. Fish cakes can be frozen for up to two to three months. When you're ready to use the frozen fish cakes, you can either defrost them in the refrigerator for several hours or overnight or use a microwave on a low power setting. You can also cook the fish cakes directly from frozen by adding a few extra minutes to the cooking time.
If you prefer not to freeze the fish cakes, you can store them in the refrigerator for one to two days. However, this option is less suitable for long-term storage.
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