tofu

Vietnamese Style Ceviche | Cá Tái Chanh

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This recipe was made in partnership with

Four Star Seafood been providing seafood and specialty products to some of the best restaurants in San Francisco since 2015. The founders started our careers in the kitchen, as chefs. After traveling to coastal towns around the world, they became frustrated to return home to seafood that was less sweet and less pristine, despite our location right on the Pacific Coast. They wanted to do things a little differently and started Four Star Seafood.

Vietnamese Style Ceviche | Cá Tái Chanh
Yield 4
Author Chef Tu David Phu
Prep time
20 Min
Inactive time
20 Min
Total time
40 Min

Vietnamese Style Ceviche | Cá Tái Chanh

My parents were pescatarians up until the age of 19 or 20; until they immigrated to the United States. Before that, our family, both maternal and paternal, thrived in a coastal community for generations as free divers. Specifically on Phu Quoc, a South Vietnamese Island. Naturally, fish is often the prize ingredient of heritage dishes in our region; Cá Tái Chanh is one of those staple dishes. If you like ceviche or poke, you'll love this recipe.

Ingredients

Ingredients
Garnish

Instructions

Marinte The Fish
  1. Place a medium-sized stainless steel bowl in the refrigerator for 30 minutes to keep cold.
  2. In the chilled stainless steel bowl, add 1 lb. of the diced Wild Aomori Yellowtail, 1 tsp. of Lemon Juice, 1 tsp. of Rice Vinegar, 1 tsp. of Minced Ginger, 1 tbsp. of Son Fish Sauce, 1/4 tsp. of Organic Sugar, 1/4 cup of Sliced Scallions, 1 tsp. of Small Diced Serrano, and a pinch of Kosher Salt.
  3. Mix gently to incorporate all the ingredients.
  4. Cover and refrigerate for about 20 minutes.
  5. Take the mixture out of the refrigerator, remove the cover and add 1/8 tsp. of Sesame Oil, and 1 tbsp. of Sesame Seeds.
  6. Mix gently to incorporate all the ingredients.
Serve
  1. Just before serving, stir in the garnishes [mint, dill, cilantro, chive] gently.
  2. For serving, set out the Cá Tái Chanh mixture onto a large plate off-center.
  3. Place the Grilled Rice Paper adjacent to the Cá Tái Chanh.
  4. Serve and eat immediately.

Notes

Grilled Rice Paper

  1. Place a piece of dried rice paper over an open flame, dragging it back and forth (1-2 minutes) until the rice paper puffs into a chip.
  2. Repeat on the other side.

Recommended Products:

Aged Son Fish Sauce
Farmed Kampachi from Panama (Sushi-grade)

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Ikura Rice Bowl (Golden Pearl Trout Caviar)

How to Cook Rice (without a Rice Cooker)

Rau Muống (Stir Fried Water Spinach)

https://cheftu.com/recipelibrary/cataichanh
TDP Enterprises, LLC
tartare, tartar, fish, ceviche, sushi, rice paper, seafood,
Appetizer, Salad
Vietnamese
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Yuba/Tofu Skin [Tàu Hũ Ky]

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Yuba [Tàu Hũ Ky]
Yield 8
Author Chef Tu David Phu
Prep time
30 Min
Cook time
12 Min
Inactive time
13 Min
Total time
55 Min

Yuba [Tàu Hũ Ky]

Yuba, also known as tofu skin, is the result of soy milk being heated; as soy milk simmers, proteins will form at the surface, resembling a congealed sheet. It’s a natural reaction that happens in both [mammal and plant-based] milk, without preservatives. Once the sheet is harvested, it is hung to dry to remove the excess liquid. As a result, the Yuba transforms into a beautiful noodle-like sheet that is both, delicate and silky; to be served in soups, over rice, stir-fried, and even sushi.

Ingredients

Soy Milk Equipment
Soy Milk Ingredients

Instructions

Soy Milk Procedure
  1. Rinse the beans well and add them to a bowl of water. The beans should be covered by 2 in (5 cm) of water.
  2. Let them soak overnight at room temperature󿰞 When the beans are done, they’ll split easily when squeezed. Split one open and look-if the inside is flat and buttercup yellow, it's ready If the inside is concave or rubbery, let the beans soak longer. The soaking time can vary. We're recommending 12 hours, but don’t be worried if it takes up to 18
  3. Drain the beans through a sieve or strainer, and reserve the soaking water. Add more filtered water to the reserved water until you reach a total of 8 cups (2 L).
  4. Heat 5 cups (1.25 L) of the reserved water in a large pot over medium-high heat.
  5. While that water warms, grind the beans in the blender with 2 more cups (500 ml) of the reserved soaking water. Puree the mixture until it looks exactly like a milkshake. Pour the blended mixture into the hot pot of water. Rinse out the blender with an additional 1/2 cup (125 ml) of the reserved water, and add it to the pot as well.
  6. Cook the soybean mixture for 3-6 minutes, stirring the bottom frequently with a wooden spatula to avoid any burning. You’ll know it’s done when it starts foaming. It will look like the frothy foam head of a big pint of beer.
  7. Quickly turn off the heat and stir to deflate. Keep an eye on this mixture; it can boil over easily.
  8. Andrea’s tip: Now’s a good time to set up a station for straining the soy milk. Put a medium-sized pot in the sink, and place a colander or mesh strainer in the pot. Line the colander with a pressing cloth, such as a clean piece of lightweight muslin, and drape the edges of the cloth over the pot’s rim. Make sure to have a pressing tool handy; a potato masher works great here.
  9. Pour the hot mixture into the pressing cloth. Pause when the cloth is full, and let the milk strain. Repeat.
  10. When all of the milk has strained, gather up the pressing cloth and twist the sides closed to form a sack. If it’s too hot to hold, let it cool off for a few minutes (basically, don't burn yourself with hot milk, please.) Use the pressing tool to mash your makeshift sack against the colander and extract more soy milk.
  11. PRO TIP: You can extract even more milk by opening up the pressing cloth and spreading out the solids (the lees). Add the final 1/2 cup (125 ml) of the reserved water, and stir until the lees look like polenta. If the lees are too hot, let them cool for 3-5 minutes. Twist the pressing cloth and wring out the rest of the soy milk. Discard the lees, or save them for another use.
  12. Bring the soy milk to a gentle simmer over medium-high heat. Cook the mixture for five minutes, stirring frequently with your wooden spatula. Use a strainer to remove any skin that forms on the surface.
  13. Serve hot, store in the fridge to chill, and serve cold. Keeps for at least 4-5 days. Or use this soymilk to make tofu.
Yuba (Tofu Skin) Procedure
  1. Making yuba is quite simple and when cooking or heating soymilk, like dairy milk, you’ll start to see a layer begin to form on the surface of the milk.
  2. In order to make yuba, you simply keep the milk at a temperature hovering around 155F (to ensure it doesn’t burn at the bottom of the pot)
  3. Wait for the sheets to form [5-7 minutes)
  4. Then remove by pinching two adjacent corners. Be careful to not tear the yuba; the sheets are extremely delicate.
  5. Lay the Yuba on a tray lined with a towel to remove excess moisture.
  6. Consume immediately.

Notes

NOTES

Making soy milk at home is relatively easy. If you’ve made nut milk at home, this is similar, with an additional cooking component. For legumes (beans, peas & peanuts), soaking and cooking them makes the nutrients more bioavailable for human consumption.

There are some soy milk machines out there, but if you have a stovetop, blender, and sieve, you'll be able to make soymilk easily. Back in the day, storing soybeans in the pantry was an efficient, cost-effective, and sustainably quick way to access protein.


If you're in The Bay Area, you're lucky to be able to score some of Hodo's soymilk, which is usually only reserved for chefs. It's available pre-order through the Farmers Market stand Hodo has on Saturdays at the Ferry Building, and in 2022, hope to see it come back to retailers like Rainbow Grocery.


Note: 

This soymilk recipe is adapted from Andrea Nguyen’s book, Asian Tofu: Discover the Best, Make Your Own, and Cook It at Home, © 2012. Published by Ten Speed Press (Crown/Penguin Random House LLC).

Recommended Products:

Gypsum - Calcium Sulfate (Tofu Coagulant)
Dried Organic Soy Beans

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cheftu.com/recipelibrary/yuba
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tofu, yuba, tofu skin, soy bean, soy milk, noodle, gluten free, dim sum
noodle
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Cá Áp Chảo - Pan Roasted Fish [w/ SakanaBlue Farmed Steelhead Salmon]

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SakanaBlue

Farmed Aomori Steelhead Salmon

FISH HIGHLIGHTS

Consistently monitored water conditions to maintain the high water quality for fish health and minimal ecosystem impacts.

The farm has a proven track record of a low frequency of escapes.

Farming of steelhead trout begins in a flow-through system that is fed by fresh river water until juveniles are ready to move to marine net pens. 

Monitoring undertaken by the farm indicates that effluent and habitat concerns are minimal, and reports of disease occurrence and wildlife interaction are low.

Juveniles are 100% sourced from a biosecure hatchery, so there are no impacts on wild steelhead juvenile populations.

Improvement plans are in place to work towards less reliance on fishmeal in feed.

Cá Áp Chảo - Pan Roasted Fish [w/ SakanaBlue Farmed Steelhead Salmon]
Yield 4
Author Chef Tu David Phu
Prep time
5 Min
Cook time
5 Min
Total time
10 Min

Cá Áp Chảo - Pan Roasted Fish [w/ SakanaBlue Farmed Steelhead Salmon]

Pan-roasting is a PERFECT cooking technique for flat, wide, or thin filets of fish. If executed properly, it will result in a juiciest, succulent fish filet, with a golden crispy crust.  As fish cooks, its cell structure dissolves in heat; at lower temperatures than meats. Once the fish’s cell structure is completely dissolved, the natural juices of the fish will start to evaporate-resulting in dried, over-cooked fish. In conclusion, pan-roasting fish is the ideal cooking method for fish; crispy, golden crust as a result of intense heat, accompanied with diminutive cooking times to retain the fish’ natural juices.

Ingredients

Instructions

  1. Pat dry the fish filets with a paper towel; xcess moisture lowers the temperature of the oil and “causes the oil to burn.
  2. Lightly season the fish filets on both sides.
  3. Preheat a large castiron frying pan on medium high heat for 2 minutes.
  4. Add 3 tbsp., of Avocado Oil.
  5. Heat the oil in frying pan for 1 minute, or until the oil is glossy and shimmering.
  6. Tilt that pan away from your body. Then gentle lay the salmon filets, flesh-side down.
  7. Immediately add Minced Ginger, Minced Lemongrass, and 2 tbsp., of Unsalted Butter.
  8. Use a large spoon to baste/bathe the fish filets with the melted butter in the pan. Do this for 3-4 minutes.
  9. Gently flip the fish filets over with a spatula.
  10. Cook the fish for 1 minute.
  11. Take the fish out of the frying onto a plate lined with paper towels.
  12. Garnish the fish Sliced Chives and Toasted Sesame Seeds.
  13. Serve with starch and salad side.

Notes

—COOKING TIPS—

  • As a general rule of thumb, default to the ’80/20 rule’, [cook the fish on the initial side for 80% of the total cook time. Then finish cooking the other side for the remaining 20%]. 
  • Before cooking, make sure your filet is completely dry—inside and out— since excess moisture lowers the temperature of the oil and “causes the oil to become more agitated, which leads to burns
  • Once you pour oil into the pan, it should cover one-third of the thickness of the fish so the meat doesn’t absorb too much oil while frying.
  • Salmon & Steelhead is best-served medium-rare [120-125 F.] 

Recommended Products:

Farmed Aomori Steelhead Salmon
Hestan - NanoBond - Stainless Steel Titanium Skillet

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Cá Tái Chanh - Vietnamese Style Ceviche [w/ SakanaBlue Aomori Wild Yellowtail]

https://cheftu.com/recipelibrary/caapchao
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Did you make this recipe?
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Cá Tái Chanh - Vietnamese Style Ceviche [w/ SakanaBlue Wild Aomori Yellowtail]

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SakanaBlue

Wild Aomori Yellowtail

FISH HIGHLIGHTS

The wild yellowtail amberjack population is considered to be high and stable with no overfishing currently occurring. 

Set net fishing methods have a low impact on the seafloor habitat and are not a concern for causing ecosystem impacts. This stationary gear type only makes contact with the seafloor with sandbags that are used to hold the nets in place. The set nets are used in a sandy/pebble habitat, which is not a major conservation concern.

Yuba Don Buri with Shiitake Shoyuzuke

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Like many of South East Asia’s recipes, tofu is a 3,000-year-old recipe from China. Some scholars believe tofu arrived in Vietnam during the 10th and 11th centuries that probably coincided with the spread of Buddhism; as it is an important source of protein in the vegetarian diet of East Asian Buddhism. 

Tofu is made up of three ingredients: water, soybeans, and a coagulant. Soybeans are soaked, then ground to extract their soy milk. Soy milk is then cooked then strained. A coagulant [ginger skins, vinegar, or nigari] is added to curdle the milk to make Tofu. And my favorite type of tofu is kumiage.

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Kumiage Yuba Don Buri with Shiitake Shoyuzuke
Yield 4
Author Chef Tu David Phu
Prep time
30 Min
Cook time
20 Min
Total time
50 Min

Kumiage Yuba Don Buri with Shiitake Shoyuzuke

Kumiage is an amazing form of tofu that you (probably) haven't tried. It's a form of yuba, also known as tofu skin. It's the result of soy milk being heated - as soy milk simmers, proteins form at the surface, resembling a congealed sheet. It’s a natural reaction that happens in both, mammal and plant-based milk. The sheet is harvested during different textural stages that ranges from creamy and soft; to a noodle-like sheet. Both are incredibly complex, delicate, and silky.

Ingredients

Sushi Rice
Shoyuzuke Shiitakes

Instructions

Tofu
  1. 4 oz., Kumiage Yuba (Hodo Foods)

Recommended Products:

Kumiage Yuba

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Tofu Pudding

https://cheftu.com/recipelibrary/kumiagedonburi
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dinner, lunch
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Did you make this recipe?
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Mapo Tofu Pudding

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Hoisin Sauce

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Hoisin Sauce

Hoisin Sauce

Yield
4
Author
Chef Tu David Phu
Prep time
10 Min
Total time
10 Min
Hoisin sauce is a savory-sweet dipping sauce commonly used in Vietnamese Pho. It can also be found in Cantonese cuisine as a glaze for meat, or an addition to stir fry.

Ingredients

  • 1/4 cup,red miso (make sure sodium is below 10%)
  • 1/2 cup, peanut butter (Smooth)_
  • 2 cloves, fresh garlic (Peeled)
  • 1 teaspoon, peeled ginger (Minced)
  • 2 tablespoons, rice vinegar (Unseasoned)
  • 2 tablespoons, coconut oil (Organic)
  • 1 tablespoon, shoyu (Organic)
  • 3 tablespoons, sugar (Organic)

Instructions

  1. In a large Vita-Prep blender, add all the ingredients
  2. Pulse for 15 seconds
  3. Blend on high until smooth (add a few drops of water, if needed)
  4. Remove the puree from the blender, store in an 8 oz. mason jar.
  5. Keep refrigerated. Shelf life is 5 days.

Notes:

This recipe is traditionally made with red fermented soy bean curds. They are impossible to source. Red miso is decent alternative. Make sure to source a high quality red miso, lower qualities tend to be very high in sodium.

Recommended Products:

Azuki Red Miso
cheftu.com/recipes/hoisin
TDP Enterprises, LLC
fermented, ferment, soy sauce, pho, hoisin, dipping, dip, marinate, marinade, stir fry
sauce
Vietnamese
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