Family Recipe 35 - Dry-Braised Tofu Skin

Ingredients: Fresh tofu skin (dou pi), ginger, garlic, sugar, fermented bean paste (doubanjiang), ketchup Instructions: 1. Mince ginger and garlic. 2. Heat oil in a pan over medium-low heat. Pan-fry both sides of the tofu skin until golden brown (be careful, it burns easily). This helps the tofu skin hold its shape and not fall apart during braising. Set aside once golden. 3. Using the remaining oil in the pan (add more if needed), sauté minced ginger and garlic until fragrant. Add doubanjiang and ketchup, stir-frying until the red oil separates. Then, add sugar and a small amount of water and bring to a boil. 4. Once the sauce boils, add the tofu skin. Increase heat to high and reduce the sauce until it thickens and coats the tofu skin. If you want a richer color, you can add a little soy sauce, but don't add too much as the doubanjiang is already salty.