Minister Jiang's Tofu (蔣侍郎豆腐)

Ingredients

• 2 blocks tofu
• lard (豬油)
• 1 pinch salt flower (鹽花)
• 1 teacup fine sweet wine (好甜酒)
• 120 pieces large dried shrimp (大蝦米)
• 1 small cup autumn-pressed soy (秋油)
• 1 pinch sugar
• 120 segments scallion (細蔥)

Instructions

1. Remove the skin from both sides of the tofu blocks. Cut each block into sixteen pieces and allow them to dry thoroughly.
2. Heat lard in a wok until clear smoke rises. Carefully add the tofu pieces and sprinkle lightly with salt flower. When the pieces have browned, turn them over.
3. Add one teacup of fine sweet wine. Add the large dried shrimp (if using small shrimp, use three hundred pieces instead of twelve). Before adding the shrimp, they should have been soaked and rolled in water for one hour.
4. Bring to a rolling simmer again. Add one small cup of autumn-pressed soy (秋油). Bring to a rolling simmer once more. Add a pinch of sugar. Bring to a rolling simmer a final time.
5. Add the scallion segments—one hundred twenty pieces, each about half an inch long—and transfer gently from the wok to serve.