“I was running around the hospital frantically. Desperately opening the door to every room along the way. No, it wasn’t her. Where was she? Then I met him and asked him which room Granny was in. He said ’43’. I ran all the way towards the end of the corridor and found room 43. When I opened the door, I saw Granny lying in bed, sleeping soundly. I moved towards her and gently touched her face.“
And the next moment I woke up with tears. My heart was pounding and I couldn’t breathe. It was as though I had been sprinting in real life and was trying to catch my breath. It was a dream but it just felt so real. Since Granny left, this was only the second time she had appeared in my dream. And I still didn’t get the chance to talk to her…
I’m sure some of you have eaten fermented bean curd 豆腐乳 (in bottles that are readily available at all supermarkets) with plain rice congee at home or even at Taiwan/Teochew porridge houses elsewhere. But do you know fermented bean curd also makes a great marinade for meats?
Just a few ingredients, a quick marination and then into the oven. How easy can this be? The last time I made these drumlets, I left them in the oven for too long as I wanted them to be more browned so this time I reduced the baking time by 10 minutes just so the chicken would be tender and moist. And they really are.
Fermented bean curd is very salty on its own so there is no need to add any salt. If you’re using bigger pieces of chicken parts like whole wings or legs, you might like to increase another 1-2 tablespoonful of fermented bean curd just so the chicken can be thoroughly marinated. Give it a try!
Fermented Bean Curd Chicken Recipe
Ingredients (serves 2)
8 chicken drumlets
3 cubes fermented bean curd, mashed
3 tsp pickling liquid from the fermented bean curd
2 tsp sesame oil
1/2 tbsp sugar
Instructions
1. Marinate chicken with the fermented bean curd & liquid, sesame oil and sugar. Chill in fridge for at least an hour before baking.
2. Preheat oven to 220 deg C (or 200 with fan).
3. Line a baking tray with aluminium foil and lightly grease with cooking spray. Transfer the drumlets onto the baking tray in one single layer.
4. Bake in the middle of the oven for 20-25 minutes or till the drumlets turn golden brown.