I mentioned in my last post of my Tofu Burrito I was struggling with a dish so I had put it aside. It called for hot spring eggs, which are made by covering with boiling water. The recipe is from Harumi’s Japanese Cooking and said it’s very easy to make. Not so! I tried it different ways and all I ended up with was the yoke. I gave up as making poach eggs is faster and I knew what I was getting. So this is my Poached Eggs with Tofu, loosely based on the Hot Spring Eggs.
I love the subtle flavours of this dish and the ingredients are relatively easy to find. With a bit of prep you’ll have an easy lunch to enjoy.
Technique for Poached Eggs and Tofu
About an hour or so before the dish is made a stock has to be made and the tofu needs to be wrapped in paper towel/kitchen roll. Slice two rectangles of tofu per serving and wrap it. Set aside. This helps remove excess water for when you pan fry the tofu. In a cup add equal parts bonito flakes and kelp and cover with boiling water.
Set this aside and let steep for about an hour.
When it’s time to make the dish bring water and a 1/4 cup (2oz) of white vinegar to a boil. Poach the eggs for 3 minutes.
Mix the ingredients for the sauce in a small serving bowl.
Meanwhile, heat up the sesame oil in a skillet. Fry the tofu until both sides are golden and crispy.
Drain the tofu of excess oil and place the eggs over the tofu. Drizzle some sauce over the eggs and top with fresh scallions/green onion.
I enjoyed this with smoked mackerel. I’m glad I switched to the poached eggs as I love the flavours of the dish so it was nice to finally get it together!
Poached Eggs and Tofu
Asian flavours with pan fried tofu.
Ingredients
- 2 slices tofu (per serving)
- 2 eggs (per serving)
- 2 tbsp sesame oil
- equal parts bonito flakes and kelp
- 2 tsp mirin
- 1 tsp amino acids or soy sauce
- 1 tsp minced ginger
- 2 tbsp stock made with bonito flakes and kelp
- 1/4 cup sliced scallion/green onion
Instructions
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Boil water and cover the bonito flakes and kelp in a cup. Steep for at least an hour.
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Slice the tofu and wrap with paper towels/kitchen roll to remove excess water. Set aside.
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Boil water with 1/4 cup/2oz of white vinegar. Poach the eggs for 3 minutes.
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Mix the stock from steeping the bonito flakes and kelp with the aminio acid, mirin and minced ginger. Stir well.
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Heat the sesame oil in a skillet and pan fry the tofu until golden and crispy. Drain the excess oil from the tofu.
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Place the poached eggs over the tofu. Drizzle the sauce over the eggs and top with the scallion/green onions.
Love poached eggs. this looks like a great Asian dish.
Thank you! 🙂
What a beautiful dish; your photos are so vibrant. I love all the hints you’ve given! I am
“guilty” of using poached instead of soft boiled or partially cooked eggs using different methods in recipes; how people actually get soft boiled out of a shell intact for a recipe is a mystery to me!! 🙂 My dog has been the happy recipient of many a wrecked soft boiled egg!
For the soft boiled egg in the shell, bring the water with a heavy splash of white vinegar to a boil then add the eggs. Bring back up to a boil and cook for 6 minutes. Remove from water and rinse with cold water to stop the cooking. This usually works for me. 😊
I’ll try that, thanks! I know I managed to get a soft boiled egg once coz there’s a pic on one of my ramens, but I cannot remember for the life of me how I managed that, lol! The vinegar sounds like a good trick!
It’s supposed to help with the shell though I often get one in every batch that cracks. I guess consistency is key. 😄