Cantonese smothered tofu (wosiu tofu)

Cut each block of tofu into eight pieces.

Dissolve a teaspoon of salt in hot water, drop in the tofu, shut off the heat and leave at least ten minutes to pre-cook and firm it.

Soak the dried shiitake in cool water a couple of hours or overnight.

Squeeze the mushroom, snip the stem and dice it finely; peel and dice the carrot, cut the long bean into half-centimetre pieces, slice the scallion.

Pat the tofu dry on a cloth and dust each piece with flour.

Beat the egg until no strands of white remain and sift in half a tablespoon of flour, mixing out any clumps.

Heat about three cups of oil in a wok to about 175C; dip the tofu in the batter and drop in one by one; fry about three minutes in all, flipping, until golden brown and buoyant.

For the sauce, top the mushroom soaking liquid up with stock and add half a teaspoon each of salt and sugar and a sprinkle of MSG.

Pour off all but about a tablespoon of oil and wipe the wok with paper towel; over medium flame fry the mushroom, carrot and bean about a minute until softened.

Pour the Shaoxing wine over the spatula and around the wok, mix briefly and add the sauce.

Bring to a boil over high flame and thicken with the slurry, added bit by bit.

Off the heat stir in the toasted sesame oil; smother the tofu with the sauce and sprinkle with a good handful of scallion.

To store raw tofu, submerge it in about 500 ml water with about half a teaspoon of salt in the fridge, which extends its life at least a couple of days.