Xìngrén Dòufˇu, a/k/a Almond "Tofu" Dessert
MICHAEL WANG, chef/owner, Foumami
Chef Michael Wang, the mastermind behind Foumami, the Financial District's must-have Asian sandwich spot, is more traditional than innovative in his off-hours. His favorite summertime dessert? Chilled almond gelatin topped with fruit.
"The name of this dessert is kind of misleading since there is no tofu in this dish," he says. "Canned fruit cocktail makes a wonderful combination, but you can certainly use freshly cut fruit."
To make xìngrén dòufˇu, mix two packets of unflavored gelatin with, depending on your sweet tooth, one-half to three-quarters cup sugar. Pour one and a half cups boiling water over the mix, and stir until everything is completely dissolved. Now, add two and a half cups of whole milk, two teaspoons of pure almond extract, and stir well. Pour everything into a shallow pan, cover, then refrigerate for about four hours. To serve, just scoop a few pieces of "tofu" into a small bowl, and top with assorted fresh fruit or canned fruit cocktail. Easy.
"My mother used to make large bowls of this dessert and place it in the refrigerator so anyone in my family could have some whenever we wanted," says Wang. "This has always been, and still is, one of my favorite desserts."
FOUMAMI | 225 Franklin St, Boston | 617.426.8858 |foumami.com
