Steamed tuna and tofu with soy chili sauce

A dish I cooked about a year ago. Easy to prep, simple to cook, tantalizing to smell and just lovely to eat. I didn’t publish a recipe earlier because I wanted to make it again using a part of tuna other than belly. I wanted to be able to compare and write about the difference as part of the recipe.

But it isn’t likely that I will be able to make the dish again anytime soon. Not within the next couple of months anyway. We moved, we’re still in the process of moving, actually, and all the steamers are in the house that we’ve been trying to unclutter for an entire month. And I need a steamer to cook this dish in.

So, this is how I cooked this steamed tuna and tofu last year. My daughter’s friend sent us a jar of chili oil and I had been experimenting with it.

But let’s start with the tofu. Firm tofu cut into pieces and fried until golden and crisp. You’re wondering why bother frying. I like texture, and frying the tofu provides that. You, however, may skip the frying if you wish. The dish, as cooked, will naturally feel different in the mouth. The appearance will be less attractive too because the unfried white tofu will turn a dull reddish brown as it soaks up the seasoning. See tips on frying tofu.

Now, the tuna. That’s tuna belly. Some cooks peel off the white membrane that covers the belly by inserting a filleting knife between the membrane and the fish flesh then sliding it to separate the two. But I don’t usually bother. That white membrane, as unseemly as it may look, does add a layer of protection to help keep the fish flesh moist during cooking. And when the fish is done and on my plate, that white skin separates from the flesh quite easily. Or, perhaps, that’s just my excuse because I don’t own a filleting knife.

Chili figures twice in the prep. The fried tofu and tuna are combined with julienned carrot, ginger and scallions, and tossed lightly with chili oil. I did this before adding any seasoning. Why not just mix the chili oil with the rest of the seasoning? Well, that was part of the experiment. I wanted to know:

• If the heat of chili oil would turn stronger or milder during steaming if allowed to get soaked up by the solid ingredients prior to the addition of seasonings, and
• If oil could act as an effective barrier to prevent the tuna and tofu from turning soggy during steaming.

And my conclusions from the experiment?

• The heat from the chili oil permeated the innermost portions of the tofu and tuna. Whereas, had the oil been mixed into the sauce, the heat would have mostly stayed on the surface.
• Coating the solid ingredients with oil before pouring in the seasonings gave them a shinier appearance and bouncier texture.

The sauce is made with Asian pantry staples: soy sauce, sweet soy sauce, rice vinegar, sugar and Korean chili flakes. I specify Korean chili flakes because they are more sweet than hot. If you substitute something else, whether in the form of paste, sauce or flakes, the level of heat will either be milder or bolder. And note that ready-made chili pastes and sauces are often seasoned with other ingredients. My best advice is to taste the sauce after mixing all the ingredients together, and make all necessary adjustments to suit your palate, before pouring it over the fish, tofu and vegetables.