Century Egg (Pidan) with Silken Tofu 🇨🇳

 

Century eggs or 'pidan', a Chinese delicacy, are duck eggs preserved in a mixture of clay, ash, salt, quicklime and rice hulls for weeks or months (certainly not for a century though they might look like it!)  The egg white turns black and gelatinous, while the yolk becomes dark green and custard-like.  If that's not enough to turn some people off, their rich, complex taste comes with a faint hint of ammonia.  I would not go near them as a child, but have grown to love them, especially in this recipe with silken tofu as a cold dish, usually served as an appetiser in a Chinese banquet.  Assemble to make it look pretty on a plate, then mash and mix everything up without apologies to enjoy fully.  You can purchase century eggs from Asian groceries, and look out for ones made locally in Australia, though they might be pricier than the imported products.  Store century eggs in the fridge.

Serves 2

INGREDIENTS

• 1 century egg
• 1 packet (300g / 10oz) silken tofu
• 2 cherry tomatoes, sliced into 4 pieces
• 1 tablespoon light soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon rice vinegar
• ½ teaspoon sugar
• ½ teaspoon  sesame oil
• 1 tablespoon coriander, roughly chopped

METHOD  

1. Gently invert tofu from its packet onto a serving plate.  Take care not to break the block.  Drain off any water that comes out of the packet by tilting the plate slightly over the sink.  Pat the tofu dry with paper towels.  Cut the tofu into 8 cubes
2. In a small bowl, make the sauce by combining soy sauce, vinegar, sugar and sesame oil.  Stir to dissolve sugar.
3. Scrape ash off the century egg, if any.  Rinse.  Shell and cut egg into small pieces.
4. Arrange pieces of egg and tomato on top of the tofu.  Drizzle over the sauce.  Garnish with coriander.  Chill in the fridge for an hour.  
5. Mash up the tofu with a spoon to mix with all the ingredients just before serving.

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