This has to be one of the most underrated soups. It's comforting, aromatic and nourishing all at once and is simple to through together. Best served over rice with the crispy tofu sliced up on top.
Slice the corn from the cobs.
Heat the sesame oil in a medium large saucepan over a medium heat. Add the garlic, ginger and spring onions (saving the greens for garnish) to the saucepan and stir frequently to avoid them sticking to the bottom of the pan.
Add the corn to the pan and fry for around 4-5 minutes until they turn a bright sunny yellow. Add the Shaoxing wine and soy sauce then the stock.
Carefully add 2 of the tofu slabs into the stock and simmer for 5 minutes then remove with a slotted spoon and place on paper towel to remove any excess moisture.
Place the flour into one bowl and season. Add the milk to another then the seasoned panko to another. Coat the tofu pieces in the flour then the milk then back into the flour and milk again. Finally press the panko breadcrumbs into the tofu ensuring they're completely coated. Place to one side.
Remove a few ladles (around 250ml) of the soup, blend and pour back into the pan. Mix the cornstarch with 1 tbsp of the soup then add the slurry back into the pot. Crumble in the 1/3 of the remaining raw tofu - this will resemble the egg in the soup and cook for a few minutes until hot and the soup has thickened.
Finally heat the neutral oil in a frying pan and add the pieces of coated tofu. Fry for a few minutes on each side until golden brown. Remove from the pan, slice up into strips and season with an extra pinch of salt.
Serve the soup over rice with the crispy tofu on top, a scattering of toasted sesame seeds and the spring onion greens. Enjoy!
