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Huizhou Stinky Tofu
Firm fermented tofu deep-fried until puffed and golden, simmered briefly in stock, then smothered in a spicy minced-pork sauce. Adapted for a home kitchen from the original ClouChef R&D report — 徽州臭豆腐, report 68.
Original poster image from clouchef.com (poster: 徽州臭豆腐_68.jpeg). This is the hero poster only, not a step-by-step photo set.
Prep: 10 minutesCook: 10 minutesTotal: 20 minutesServings: 1–2Difficulty: MediumRegion: Anhui (Huizhou)Flavour: Funky, spicy, savoury
Why this works
The report's sequence is fry, then simmer, then sauce — and the order matters because each step fixes a problem the last one created. Frying at 180 °C for two minutes puffs the tofu and gives it a crisp shell, but fried tofu alone is dry; a three-minute simmer in stock lets it drink up savoury liquid without going soggy. The minced-pork topping, cooked separately until no pink remains, brings the heat and richness, and a starch-thickened finish makes it cling instead of sliding off. Home cooks should note the oil quantity honestly: the report calls for 500 ml of frying oil, but that is a restaurant quantity for repeated use, and at home a smaller pot with enough oil to float the pieces works the same way. The smell is strong while frying; the eating is not a dare, it is the point. Served at once, the tofu is crisp outside, soaked with stock inside, and rich under its pork topping.
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Ingredients
| Ingredient | US | Metric | Substitute / note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Huizhou fermented tofu blocks | 7.1 oz | 200 g | Firm fermented tofu; regular firm tofu is not a substitute — the ferment is the flavour (adaptation). |
| Minced pork, front leg | 2.8 oz | 80 g | Any minced pork works. |
| Dried chilli segments | 0.4 oz | 10 g | — |
| Fresh millet chillies | 0.2 oz | 5 g | Small fresh red chillies; omit if unavailable (adaptation). |
| Garlic, minced | 0.5 oz | 15 g | — |
| Stock | 10 tbsp | 150 ml | Chicken or pork stock; low-sodium store-bought works (adaptation). |
| Light soy sauce | 2.0 tsp | 10 ml | — |
| Sugar | 0.2 oz | 5 g | — |
| Cooking wine | 2.0 tsp | 10 ml | Shaoxing wine, for marinating the pork. |
| Corn starch, for thickening | to taste | to taste | Quantity not given in the report — mix a thin slurry and add until the sauce coats (adaptation, labelled). |
| Cooking oil, for frying | 33 tbsp | 500 ml | Restaurant quantity in the report; at home use enough to float the tofu in a small pot, reused or discarded safely (adaptation, labelled). |
Equipment
- Small deep pot for frying — a wok is not required (adaptation)
- Slotted spoon
- Second pan for the pork topping
Steps
- Prepare. Drain the tofu blocks well so they do not spit in hot oil. Marinate the pork mince with cooking wine and a little soy sauce for 5 minutes. Cut the dried chillies into segments, slice the fresh chillies into rings, and mince the garlic.
- Fry the tofu. Heat the oil to 180 °C and fry the tofu until the surface is golden and puffed, about 2 minutes. Lift out and drain.
- Simmer in stock. Leave a little oil in a pan, fry the garlic and dried chillies until fragrant, add the stock and bring to a boil. Add the fried tofu and simmer on low heat for 3 minutes until it has absorbed the stock.
- Make the topping. In a second pan, fry the pork mince over medium heat until completely cooked through with no pink remaining. Add the fresh chilli rings, soy sauce and sugar, thicken with a little starch slurry, and stir until glossy.
- Assemble. Plate the tofu and pour the pork sauce over the top. Serve at once while the tofu is still crisp outside and juicy inside.
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Technique: Technique: fry, soak, top
Frying temperature must hold at 180 °C, give or take 5 °C: cooler and the tofu drinks oil and turns greasy; hotter and it scorches. The simmer is capped at three minutes — longer and the tofu collapses, shorter and it stays dry inside. And the pork topping must be fully cooked through, with no pink left, before it ever touches the tofu.
Variations
- Less spicy: leave out the fresh millet chillies and halve the dried ones; the fermented tofu still dominates.
- No stock: water with a pinch of salt and a splash of soy works, but the tofu absorbs less flavour — stock is worth using.
Frequently asked questions
Is Huizhou stinky tofu the same as other stinky tofu?
No — this version is firm, fried, simmered in stock and topped with pork, unlike the soft, brine-soaked street versions.
Why simmer after frying?
Frying gives the crust; simmering lets the tofu absorb stock so it is juicy, not dry, inside.
Can I air-fry it?
The report fries in oil. An air fryer gives a drier, less puffed result — acceptable at home, but not the report method (adaptation).
Storage
Best eaten fresh; the crust softens quickly. Leftovers keep 1 day refrigerated; reheat until steaming hot throughout — the crisp crust will not fully return.
Huizhou Stinky Tofu — Recipe Card
Firm fermented tofu deep-fried until puffed and golden, simmered briefly in stock, then smothered in a spicy minced-pork sauce. Adapted for a home kitchen from
Prep: 10 minutesCook: 10 minutesTotal: 20 minutesServings: 1–2
Ingredients: 200 g fermented tofu; 80 g minced pork; 10 g dried chillies; 5 g fresh millet chillies; 15 g garlic; 150 ml stock; 10 ml soy; 5 g sugar; 10 ml cooking wine; starch slurry; oil for frying.
Steps: 1) Drain tofu; marinate pork 5 minutes. 2) Fry tofu at 180 °C about 2 minutes until golden and puffed; drain. 3) Fry garlic and chillies, add stock, simmer tofu 3 minutes. 4) Fry pork until no pink remains; add chillies, soy, sugar; thicken. 5) Pour pork sauce over tofu and serve.
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Source note: ingredients, quantities and steps are adapted from the original ClouChef R&D report for 徽州臭豆腐 (data/reports/68.md). The report's pricing, margin and marketing sections are deliberately omitted here; no B2B cost is presented as a home-cook cost. The report's ingredient cost table contradicts its own text — it prices the tofu at roughly ten times its own stated range, and charges the full 500 ml of frying oil to one portion while its summary charges only a share — so all cost figures are omitted. Original poster image: clouchef.com (徽州臭豆腐_68.jpeg).