Fresh Bean Curd With Sweet Scallion Sauce

Ingredients

The bean curd:

• 2 tablespoons pine nuts
• 6 cups cold water
• 4 cakes fresh bean curd (tofu)
• ½ scallion, green part only, thinly sliced

The sauce:

• ¼ cup scallion oil
• ¼ cup dark soy sauce
• ¼ cup vegetable broth (chicken broth may be substituted)
• 2 tablespoons sugar

Four to six servings

Preparation

1. To make the bean curd, heat a wok or heavy skillet over high heat for 30 seconds. Turn the heat very low. Add the pine nuts and spread in a single layer. Cook, stirring often with a spatula, until the nuts turn brown, about 12 minutes. Set aside.
2. To make the sauce, heat a wok or heavy skillet over medium heat. Add the scallion oil, soy sauce, broth and sugar. Stir clockwise (to avoid spattering) until all ingredients are well blended and begin to boil. Set aside.
3. Place water in a large pot, cover and bring to a boil over high heat. Add bean curd and boil for 4 minutes. Drain well, cut each cake in half crosswise and place in a heated dish. Whisk the sauce and pour over bean curd. Sprinkle with pine nuts and scallion and serve immediately.

20 minutes