TOFU WITH SKIN RECIPES

Steps:

• Wash soy beans and soak in plenty of water for at least 8 hours or overnight.
• Boil 7 1/2 C water in a large non-stick pot. Let the water come to a boil then turn down heat to simmer.
• Divide drained beans in 2 equal portions. Using a blender, blend one portion of beans with 2 C hot water until very smooth and pour this into the non-stick pot containing 7 1/2 C boiling water. Repeat with remaining beans and 2 C hot water.
• Place a colander over a large bowl (I usually have two bowls ready for this to pour the extra soy milk if the first one gets too full). Colander should be lined with cheese cloth (may have to double line if thin) or preferably cotton straining bag.
• Carefully ladle the hot mixture into the cheesecloth. Be careful, it's very hot. Wear rubber gloves. Once all the mixture is ladled in, twist cheese cloth closed and with a canning jar extract soy milk by pressing down. Make sure the cheese cloth is always closed to prevent grated soy beans or okara from falling into soy milk. Pick up the twisted cheese cloth and continue to knead it to extract the milk. Now you have soy milk in the bowl and okara left in the cheese cloth. Use okara for other uses.
• Pour the soy milk into a wide non-stick pot and heat the soy milk to 175°F or 79.5 C slowly. Once you reach the temperature, it takes about 7 minutes for yuba to form. Don’t rush it.
• Trim film away from the pot using a small knife and with your fingertips lift up one edge of yuba and insert a long chopstick underneath to lift up. Drain over the pot for a few seconds. Repeat until soy milk is all used up. What’s left in the pot is red film known as amayuba. Scrape this off too with spatula.
• Roll each yuba into rolls.
• Variation: Half formed yuba takes 4 to 5 minutes steaming before the yuba has had the chance to attach to the sides of pot instead of 7 minutes steaming . Using your fingertips or chopstick lift the yuba (very delicate) and serve immediately.

Steps:

• Bring a large saucepan of water to a boil over high. Remove from heat. Add dried tofu skin sticks; place an inverted heatproof lid on top of tofu sticks to keep them submerged. Let stand until tofu sticks are very pliable and soft, 10 to 15 minutes.
• Meanwhile, stir together soy sauce, vinegar, fried chile in oil, mirin, and sugar in a small bowl until sugar dissolves. Set aside.
• Drain tofu sticks, and gently pat dry. Heat 1 1/2 teaspoons oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high; swirl to coat. Add bell pepper; cook, stirring occasionally, until crisp-tender, about 3 minutes. Transfer bell pepper to a small bowl. Add remaining 1 1/2 tablespoons oil to skillet over medium-high. Add tofu sticks; cook, turning occasionally, until light golden, about 6 minutes. 
• Add soy sauce mixture and bell pepper to tofu sticks in skillet; cook over medium-high, stirring often, until tofu sticks absorb soy sauce mixture, 4 to 6 minutes. Serve over cooked rice, and garnish with scallions and cucumber.