Vietnamese At Home: Baked Tofu With Julienned Snow Peas
Say it with us: "An!" It means "eat" in Vietnamese. Follow Helene An, executive chef at Beverly Hills hot spot House of An, as she recounts the family history that brought her to culinary fame in Los Angeles and shares the recipes she and her daughter cook for their never-ending line of hungry fans.
My mother says the most addictive kind of food not only tastes good but also makes your body feel good. This is one of those dishes. When we did the photo shoot for this cookbook, it was quickly gobbled up as soon as the photographs were taken. In Vietnam, tofu isn't viewed as simply a meat replacement for vegetarians. Instead, it's prized as a highly versatile, healthy and inexpensive protein that absorbs and then shines with the flavors of other ingredients. Tofu is frequently included in dishes with meat because it adds another layer of texture — incredibly important to the Vietnamese plate. Trumpet mushrooms are known for their umami flavor, and, combined with the onion roux, they give the sauce buttery texture and add a healthy, earthy richness to the normally plain tofu.
- 8 ounces firm tofu
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 1 tablespoon canola oil
- 1 tablespoon chopped shallots
- 4 trumpet mushrooms
- 1 cup snow peas
- 1 tablespoon Michiu rice cooking wine or white wine
- 2 tablespoons White Sauce
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1 teaspoon sambal chili sauce
- 3 tablespoons canola oil
- 3 garlic cloves
- 1 medium white onion
- 2 teaspoons all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- :::white sauce:::
- Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the garlic and sauté until it turns golden, about 1 minute. Add the onions and sauté until the onions sweat and begin to soften, about 5 minutes.
- Sprinkle the flour into the pan and, using a wooden spoon, stir it into the other ingredients for 5 minutes. Add the salt and sugar. Pour in 8 cups of water and continue to cook for 10 minutes, stirring continuously with the wooden spoon so the flour won’t clump.
- Reduce the heat to low and cook for 15 more minutes. Strain the sauce through a fine-mesh sieve into a large bowl and set it aside to cool. The sauce can be stored for 4 to 5 days, covered with plastic wrap, in the refrigerator.
- :::tofu and peas:::
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a baking pan with oil or butter.
- Cut the tofu in half horizontally. Place the tofu in the prepared baking pan, sprinkle all sides with salt, and bake until the surface is light gold, about 10 to 15 minutes. Remove from oven and set aside to cool.
- Cut the tofu lengthwise into ½-inch-wide strips (the size of your index finger).
- Heat the canola oil in a large saucepan or wok over medium heat. Add the shallots and sauté until they are soft and fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the tofu and cook for 3 minutes, stirring regularly. Add the mushrooms and snow peas and sauté, tossing well. Add the wine, being conscious of a possible flame-up. Stir in the white sauce, soy sauce, sesame oil, sugar, and sambal chili sauce. Serve hot.