Chinese Vegetarian Roast Goose 素烧鹅

Adapted from the recipe in my cookbook, The Vegan Chinese Kitchen. A stunning dish layered out of tofu skin (beancurd sheets), completely vegan and can be made gluten-free.

This Buddhist appetizer is nearly a thousand years ago, but I first encountered it on a trip to Shanghai in 2019. I was eating lunch in a charming vegetarian restaurant that smelled of incense and old mahogany furniture, and as I watched the server bring the “bird” out, beautifully plated and skin crisped to a deep golden brown, it struck me that this would be perfect as a vegan holiday dish.

The “goose” is made from layers of semi-dried tofu skin (腐皮), also known as beancurd sheets. They’re usually in the frozen section of an Asian supermarket. You stack three or four skins, wetting them with a sauce mixture, pile on a heap of the slivered mushroom carrot filling, fold them up into a packet and steam until the layers soften and wrinkle. After frying, the outside gets shatteringly crisp, in imitation of crispy goose skin.

Origins of Vegetarian Roast Goose

Su shao’e (素烧鹅) or “vegetarian roast goose” originated in one of the oldest and largest Buddhist populations in China in Jiangnan Province, which was a hub of vegetarian cuisine during the Song dynasty. Yuan Mei, the legendary Chinese poet and gastronome, included this dish in his classic treatise and cookbook Recipes from the Garden of Contentment from the Qing dynasty.

You’ll find variations across regional cuisines, and some chefs leave out the filling entirely, trying to replicate the actual texture of the goose, but my favorite is the traditional version stuffed with thin slivers of bamboo shoots, carrot, and shiitake mushrooms. Something crunchy, sweet, and savory in each bite. Nowadays, mock meats and the old imitation-style dishes are considered outdated in modern vegetarian restaurants in China, but this dish is enduringly popular on menus, probably because it’s delicious in its own right.

Instructions

The variety of tofu skin we’ll be using is frozen semi-dried tofu skin, also labeled as “beancurd sheets.” It typically comes in packs of 1 lb or ½ lb sizes, sold in most Asian supermarkets.

Note: the two sizes below actually have the same thing inside — the sheets in the smaller package are just folded several more times.

Do not use the shelf-stable packs of beancurd sheets / sticks that are also sold as tofu skin. Those are brittle and will not work for this recipe, where you want sturdiness but also flexibility.

Step 1

Thinly sliver the ingredients: Soak the mushrooms in the hot or boiling water for 30 minutes, until plump. Snip off and discard the mushroom stems and cut the caps into thin slivers. Reserve the soaking liquid.

Step 2

Combine the sauce in a small saucepan along with 2 tablespoons of the mushroom soaking liquid. Heat just long enough for the sugar to dissolve. Take off the heat and allow it to cool as you make the filling.

Step 3

Cook the filling: Heat a seasoned wok over medium heat and add the vegetable oil, swirling to coat the sides. Add the ginger and stir-fry until aromatic, about 30 seconds. Add the mushroom caps, bamboo shoots, and carrot. Stir-fry to combine. Pour in about 2 tablespoons of the sauce and stir-fry until the sauce has been absorbed, then season with salt to taste. It should be fairly salty, as this will provide most of the flavor for the tofu skin. Scrape into a bowl.

Step 4

In the meantime, trim off the string-like edges of the tofu skin sheets. Discard or use as a “brush.” On a flat surface, lay out one tofu skin sheet with the straight edge toward you. Using the trimmed edges, a spoon, or a pastry brush, rub a light layer of the remaining sauce over the first sheet. Top with a second sheet and brush again. Repeat with one more sheet, for three layers.

Pile half the filling in the center of the stacked sheets, about 3 inches from the straight bottom edge. Fold the left and right sides of the stack toward the center, then press down gently. Brush a thin layer of the sauce on the bottom edge to help seal it. Fold the bottom up and over the filling, then roll it into a packet about 4 × 8 inches in size. Set on a plate and cover so it doesn’t dry out. Use the remaining 3 sheets and filling to make a second packet.

Line two bamboo steamer baskets with a muslin cloth or perforated parchment paper. Bring a pot of water to a boil. Place the rolls seam-side down in the steamer, cover, and steam over medium-high heat for 10 to 12 minutes, until the tofu skin is wrinkled and noticeably darkened. Remove from the steamer and let cool briefly.

Heat about 3 inches of oil in a wok over medium-high heat to 325°F (162°C). Gently slide the steamed rolls into the wok and deep-fry, turning the rolls once, until both sides are golden brown, about 3 minutes on each side. You can also use a large skillet and pan-fry the rolls— heat about ½ inch of oil in the pan. Remove and let cool on a paper towel– lined plate. With a sharp knife, cut the rolls into 1-inch-wide pieces.

Video Instructions

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