Century Egg with Tofu (Pi Dan Dou Fu)

Prep time: 15 minutes

Cook time: 0 minutes

Total time: 15 minutes

Servings: 4 servings

Country of Origin

China (Jiangnan region / East China)

Description

An elegant, no-cook cold appetizer that balances contrasting textures and rich flavor notes. A cold block of delicate, silky smooth cream-white tofu is topped with chopped bits of rich, gelatinous, savory century eggs (Pi Dan), unified by a glossy, savory soy-sesame dressing.

Presentation & How It's Eaten

Presented on a flat rimmed plate. The silken tofu block is either kept whole or sliced into clean layers, blanketed by a mosaic of dark amber and pine-patterned century eggs and bright green scallions. Diners spoon up a segment of the soft tofu along with the egg bits and savory pool of dressing.

Ingredients

• 1 block (approx. 400g / 14 oz) premium silken tofu (chilled)

• 2 traditional century eggs (Pi Dan, shelled)

• 3 scallions (very finely sliced)

• 1 tbsp fresh cilantro (finely chopped)

The Umami Dressing:

• 2 tbsp light soy sauce

• 1 tsp Chinese black vinegar

• 1 tsp granulated sugar

• 1 tbsp pure toasted sesame oil

• 1 tbsp garlic oil or chili oil (optional, to taste)

Step-by-Step Directions

1. Drain Tofu: Remove the silken tofu from its plastic packaging. Place it on a clean paper towel-lined plate and tilt it slightly for 10 minutes to drain off excess surface moisture.

2. Chop Century Eggs: Peel the century eggs and rinse them briefly under cold water to ensure no shell fragments remain. Wipe your knife blade with a damp towel (to prevent sticking) and coarsely chop the eggs into small, half-inch pieces. The yolks will be rich, creamy, and dark grey-green.

3. Plate the Tofu: Transfer the drained silken tofu block carefully onto your final serving dish. You can leave it whole or use a sharp knife to gently slice it into uniform, half-inch thick slices, fanning them out slightly.

4. Whisk Dressing: In a small cup, whisk together the light soy sauce, black vinegar, sugar, and sesame oil until the sugar crystals melt completely.

5. Layer: Scatter the chopped century egg pieces evenly over the top of the silken tofu block. Follow with a generous layer of finely sliced scallions and chopped cilantro.

6. Dress and Serve: Pour the savory dressing evenly over the entire assembled dish just before walking it to the table. Serve chilled.

Cooking Tips

• Handling Silken Tofu: Silken tofu is incredibly fragile and can easily crack or fall apart. To unmold it perfectly from its plastic tub, flip the package upside down onto your palm and use kitchen shears to snip a tiny air hole in the bottom corners of the plastic container. The vacuum seal will break, allowing the block to slide out effortlessly.

Nutrition Facts

(Estimated per serving)

• Calories: ~125 kcal

• Total Fat: 8g

• Saturated Fat: 1.5g

• Cholesterol: 95mg

• Sodium: ~490mg

• Total Carbohydrates: 4g

• Dietary Fiber: 0.5g

• Sugars: 1.5g

• Protein: 9g