Steamed Preserved Mustard Greens & Tofu

The classic homestyle southern Chinese dish of steamed salted mustard greens and pork inspired this casserole of steamed salted mustard greens and silken tofu. A kinder dish hitting all the nostalgic notes.

If you can't get your hands on the by-the-weight salted mustard greens, the prepackaged variety is probably more accessible, keeps longer in the pantry, and tastes very comparable to its open bin counterpart.

Ingredients

• 1 package of silken tofu -- slice horizontally across to half the height; if your casserole bowl isn't wide to hold a whole layer, then cut the layers in half to fit
• 2 cups chopped salted mustard greens, 'mui choy'-- pre-soaked in water for at least 2 hours, changing out the water several times to lighten the saltiness
• 1 cup chopped leeks or onion or shallots
• 1.5 teaspoon minced garlic
• 1 teaspoon grated ginger
• 3/4 cup chopped rehydrated Shitake mushrooms (optional)-- About 2-3 dried mushrooms. To rehydrate: rinse then soak in hot tap water for 20 minutes; remove, squeeze the excess liquid out, discard hard stem portion and chop up the caps. Mushroom liquid can be saved for making broth. If using fresh ones, wipe clean with wet towel, discard any hard stems, then chop up the caps.
• 2 teaspoons vegetarian stir-fry sauce 

• 1 teaspoon soy or mushroom sauce
• 1 teaspoon mirin or 1/2 teaspoon raw or brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil
• 2 teaspoons vegetable oil 

Instructions

1. Heat a skillet with the vegetable oil and minced garlic over very low flames for 1 minute to 'roast' the garlic without turning it crispy golden brown.

2. Meanwhile, prepare the steamer. If you have a steamer, set that up, otherwise, take a deep pot/wok that's big enough to hold your casserole pan, place a stainless steel cooling rack in, then fill the pot/wok with enough water so the water goes 1/3 of the way up the sides of the casserole when it's submerged. Bring the water to a boil.

3. When the garlic is a lightly amber-colored, turn the flames to high and add the leeks (or onions/shallots if you're using those) and mushrooms (if you're using them). Stir-fry them for a few minutes.

4. Add the chopped preserved mustard greens, stir-fry out some of the liquid released by the leeks.

5. Add the mushroom stir-fry sauce and mirin (or sugar if you're using that). Stir-fry for another minute. Turn off the heat.

6. Add the sesame oil and mix it evenly in.

Assembling

7. In the casserole, place a layer of the silken tofu. Spoon half of the mustard green and leek mixture on top of the tofu, spreading it evenly across the layer -- over the tofu and filling in any gaps. Repeat with another layer of the tofu and the rest of the mustard green mixture.

8. Carefully place the casserole in your steamer. Cover the steamer and steam for 20 minutes.

9. Can be served immediately over rice or allowed to cool before serving.

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