The bowl I make when the yuba bag and the dried shiitake jar meet is this one – yuba and shiitake braise, and this home cook’s version keeps the mushroom soaking water because it is the flavor, and soaks the yuba cold the night before so it turns chewy, not mushy. A home cook wrote it in fifteen steps with a brand name in the first and a tip in the fourteenth: cold-soaked yuba cuts without crumbling. I made it as written, and it is the tender, savory bowl that uses everything.
Fu zhu shao xiang gu (腐竹烧香菇) is yuba and shiitake braise – cold-soaked yuba cut on the bias and cooked with sliced dried shiitake and carrot in the mushroom’s own soaking water, finished with oyster sauce and a cornstarch gloss.
What Is Yuba and Shiitake Braise?
This is the dried-goods bowl: dried shiitake and yuba are cold-soaked separately – overnight in the fridge when it is warm – with the mushrooms washed well first because their soaking water becomes the sauce. The soaked mushrooms are sliced, the soaking water kept, and the yuba cut on the bias into inch pieces – cold-soaked yuba is chewy and cuts clean without crumbling. Scallion blooms in oil, the mushrooms go in for their fragrance, the yuba follows with oyster sauce, and the soaking water is poured in to lift the whole pot before the carrot and a cornstarch gloss finish it.
For the frozen-tofu mushroom braise of the same kitchen, my shiitake and frozen tofu braise swaps the yuba for the frozen block.
Why This Recipe Works
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- Wash the mushrooms first. Their soaking water becomes the sauce – the recipe’s logic.
- Cold soak, overnight. Chewy yuba that cuts clean – the tip.
- Yuba on the bias. Inch pieces that catch the sauce.
- The soaking water in the pan. Umami you would otherwise pour away.
- A cornstarch gloss. The shiny finish.
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Equipment Needed
- Two soaking bowls
- A wok
- A spatula
- A small bowl for the slurry
Ingredients
- Dried yuba (腐竹), as needed
- 8-10 dried shiitake mushrooms
- 1/2 carrot, in diamond slices (optional)
- 1 tbsp oyster sauce
- A little scallion, cornstarch, salt, and dark soy (optional)
Ingredient Notes
Dried shiitake: Washed before soaking – the water is the sauce. Yuba: Cold-soaked for chew. My cold yuba salad uses it cool. The finish: Oyster sauce and a cornstarch gloss.
Prep & Mise en Place
Soak the shiitake and yuba the night before; slice the mushroom; cut the yuba on the bias.
Cooking Process
Step 1 – The yuba and shiitake – quality dried goods make the bo
The yuba and shiitake – quality dried goods make the bowl; wash the dried shiitake well.
Step 2 – Soak the shiitake and yuba separately in cold water – I
Soak the shiitake and yuba separately in cold water – I usually box them the night before and chill them when the weather is warm. Wash the mushrooms before soaking; the soaking water is kept.
Step 3 – Drain and slice the shiitake; do not throw away the soa
Drain and slice the shiitake; do not throw away the soaking water.
Step 4 – Cut the yuba on the bias into inch-long pieces
Cut the yuba on the bias into inch-long pieces.
Step 5 – Cut the carrot into thin diamond slices; slice the scal
Cut the carrot into thin diamond slices; slice the scallion into inch pieces; mix the cornstarch slurry. Add any vegetable you like – pork slices, wood-ear, or greens all work.
Step 6 – Heat oil and bloom the scallion, then add the shiitake
Heat oil and bloom the scallion, then add the shiitake and cook until fragrant.
Step 7 – Add the yuba and toss
Add the yuba and toss.
Step 8 – Add the oyster sauce
Add the oyster sauce.
Step 9 – Add the mushroom soaking water for flavor – this is why
Add the mushroom soaking water for flavor – this is why the mushrooms must be washed before soaking.
Step 10 – Add the vegetables
Add the vegetables.
Step 11 – Simmer about 30 seconds so it takes the flavor; taste,
Simmer about 30 seconds so it takes the flavor; taste, then decide on salt or a touch of dark soy.
Step 12 – Add the cornstarch slurry, bring to a boil to thicken,
Add the cornstarch slurry, bring to a boil to thicken, and turn off.
Step 13 – Out of the pan
Out of the pan.
Step 14 – Cold-soaked yuba is chewy and crumb-free – it cuts any
Cold-soaked yuba is chewy and crumb-free – it cuts any way without breaking.
Step 15 – Bagged yuba, ready to soak
Bagged yuba, ready to soak.
Common Mistakes When Making This Dish
1. Mushy, broken yuba. Cause: hot soak. Fix: cold water and time. 2. A muddy, bitter sauce. Cause: unwashed mushrooms and their water. Fix: wash before soaking. 3. A flat bowl. Cause: soaking water poured away. Fix: it is the sauce. 4. A watery, thin finish. Cause: no slurry. Fix: the cornstarch gloss. 5. A salty bowl. Cause: oyster and salt without tasting. Fix: taste at step eleven.
Variations
With pork: A few slices of meat with the scallion. Vegetarian: Skip the oyster sauce for mushroom soy. My tofu mushroom soup with egg is the soupy version of the pair.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is yuba? Fu zhu – dried tofu skin sticks, soaked before use. Why cold-soak? It turns chewy and cuts clean – the recipe’s tip. Why keep the soaking water? It is the mushroom flavor – wash the mushrooms first. How long does it take? About 10 minutes of cooking after the soak. Is it spicy? Not at all – and my silken tofu potage is the soup to go with it, golden pan-fried tofu the crisp plate.
How to Serve
Serve with rice – with cold yuba salad, tofu mushroom soup with egg, and home-style tofu for a dried-goods table, or with red braised tofu and golden pan-fried tofu for contrast.
Storage & Reheat
Refrigerate 2 days; reheat gently. Never leave out more than 2 hours.
Allergen Notice
This recipe contains soy (yuba, soy) and shellfish (oyster sauce). It is free of gluten (verify the soy sauce), dairy, egg, nuts, and fish.
Nutrition Disclaimer
Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate. In cases where multiple ingredient alternatives are given, the first listed is calculated for nutrition. Garnishes and optional ingredients are not included.
About the Author & Recipe Development
I am Jason Guo, a Chinese chef who has cooked professionally for more than five years – including time as a head chef – and now runs my own small restaurant in China, where tofu appears on the menu almost every day. This xiachufang cook’s yuba and shiitake braise is my dried-goods bowl, and the recipe’s wash-first-then-keep-the-water logic is exactly how I cook with dried mushroom. I tested it as written. I have not tested the vegetarian version, so that is your experiment, not my claim.
Authoritative References
USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service – Safe Temperature Chart for safe storage of cooked dishes.
Yuba & Shiitake Braise (腐竹烧香菇): The Soaking-Water Sauce
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- The yuba and shiitake - quality dried goods make the bowl; wash the dried shiitake well.
- Soak the shiitake and yuba separately in cold water - I usually box them the night before and chill them when the weather is warm. Wash the mushrooms before soaking; the soaking water is kept.
- Drain and slice the shiitake; do not throw away the soaking water.
- Cut the yuba on the bias into inch-long pieces.
- Cut the carrot into thin diamond slices; slice the scallion into inch pieces; mix the cornstarch slurry. Add any vegetable you like - pork slices, wood-ear, or greens all work.
- Heat oil and bloom the scallion, then add the shiitake and cook until fragrant.
- Add the yuba and toss.
- Add the oyster sauce.
- Add the mushroom soaking water for flavor - this is why the mushrooms must be washed before soaking.
- Add the vegetables.
- Simmer about 30 seconds so it takes the flavor; taste, then decide on salt or a touch of dark soy.
- Add the cornstarch slurry, bring to a boil to thicken, and turn off.
- Out of the pan.
- Cold-soaked yuba is chewy and crumb-free - it cuts any way without breaking.
- Bagged yuba, ready to soak.
