The Cooked Lettuce with Fermented Tofu My Dad's Made 100,000 Times
Why this recipe
Most cooked lettuce with fermented tofu recipes online are tested only a handful of times. My dad used to make this dish multiple times a day, every day, for 50 years and can make this in his sleep.
I know you'll love it as much as our community does! This recipe has over 150K views, 3.3K likes on YouTube.
In casual Western cuisine, lettuce is often used in salads, or as a perfunctory vegetable layer in a sandwich. Cooking it may sound... new.
Since it's edible raw, it doesn't need to be cooked for much time at all, so this dish comes together in a snap. The quick cooking time preserves the satisfying crisp texture, while fermented tofu gives it a deep savory flavor.
Don't miss out!
Ingredients
Instructions
Cut lettuce
(Start boiling water now to get a head start on a later step!)
Wash the romaine lettuce (1 whole) very thoroughly. If you have time, let it soak in a tub or large bowl to help the debris and dirt wash off. Once the lettuce is clean, cut it into bite-sized pieces, about 2 inches long.
Prepare ingredients
Smash, peel, and mince the garlic (3 clove).
Cut open the chili pepper (1 whole) and discard the stem and core. Cut the chili pepper into thin strips. The strips of chili will add both flavor and color!
Take fermented tofu (2 piece) out of the jar and put the pieces in a small bowl. Using a spoon, mash the soft pieces of fermented tofu into a rough paste. Add sugar (1 tsp) to the bowl and mix to combine.
Blanch lettuce
Boil water in a wok on high heat (or pour boiling water into the wok over high heat).
Rather than an exact measurement, use as much water as you'll need to submerge the lettuce.
Once the water is boiling, add salt (1 tsp) and oil (1 tsp). This will start seasoning the lettuce and also give it some shine.
Add the lettuce and give it a stir. Cook for 30 seconds, and then, before it loses much of its crunch, remove the lettuce. Set the blanched lettuce aside and pour the water out from the wok.
Stir-fry everything
Heat your clean, dry wok on high heat. Once it's hot, add oil (1 tbsp). Add the minced garlic and cook it for 10 seconds. Stir it slightly.
Add the strips of chili and cook it for 8 seconds.
Add the mashed fermented tofu and cook it for 15-20 seconds, stirring it around.
Give the blanched lettuce a quick shake to remove any excess water, then add the lettuce to the wok. Cook it for 30 seconds, mixing thoroughly to get the aromatics mixed and distributed throughout the lettuce.
Plate the lettuce, making sure to scoop up those tasty aromatics. To keep the dish from getting soggy as you eat it, tilt to pour out some of the liquid after you've plated all the lettuce. Enjoy!