Beancurd Sheet Roast Goose Recipe (Vegan)
A New Year Beginning, a New Chapter, and a Dish for the Year of the Horse.
Hello and welcome. I’m so glad you’re here. If we haven’t met before, I’m Jane. I run a small vegan kitchen in North Wales with my husband, who is the chef of our business and also a very dedicated, if slightly obsessed, football fan. I’ve spent most of our married life working alongside him. When our children left home for university, I gradually found my way back to photography, writing, and sharing recipes; with excitement, gratitude, and a great deal of joy.
“I have enjoyed greatly the second blooming … suddenly you find, at the age of 50, say, that a whole new life has opened before you.”
~ Agatha Christie
Life has certainly become busier as I’ve entered this stage of life and beyond, but not in a frantic or anxious way. It’s a kind of busy that comes from wanting to live each day more fully. Between running the shop, keeping up with family life, volunteering at the temple, and creating whenever time allows, my days feel full, and my heart does too.
This year, however, with the commitments I’ve taken on, I’ve decided to slow down just a little. Not from cooking, but from regularly producing cooking videos. Instead, I’m returning to what I’m most passionate about: photographing food and writing recipes.
That’s how Beyond the Rice Bowl came to life. This space is where I’ll be sharing my English-language recipes and stories.
All my past bilingual recipes will continue to live on my original blog, Rice Bowl Tales, and all new Chinese-language recipes will be shared there as well.
From now on, Beyond the Rice Bowl will be for my English readers, and Rice Bowl Tales for my Chinese readers. Different languages, same love.
It feels only right that this very first post begins with a dish that carries deep meaning for me.
Beancurd Sheet Vegan Roast Goose: A Taste of Memory and Family
Some of my most cherished childhood memories are of visiting Buddhist temples and vegetarian restaurants with my family. Among the many beautiful dishes, Vegan Chicken, Vegan Duck, Vegan Char Siu, and Vegan Goose would always take turns appearing on the table, eagerly devoured by us hungry children.
My parents explained to us why Chinese monks created “mock meat” dishes using tofu, gluten, and vegetables. These dishes were designed to welcome visiting guests and patrons who were accustomed to meat, making vegetarian food more approachable without breaking monastic vows. They honoured culinary traditions while remaining rooted in compassion, showing that flavour and form could exist without harm.
Previously, I’ve already shared my most authentic and beloved recipes for Bean Curd Sheet Vegan Chicken & Vegan Roast Duck, and Vegan Char Siu on Rice Bowl Tales (as blog posts and as YouTube videos). Today, I want to show you what I believe is the easiest and healthier way (non-fried) to create a truly glorious Vegan Roast Goose.
As Chinese New Year approaches, I’m really looking forward to sharing this recipe with you. I hope it brings warmth to your table, love and connection within your family, and allows this beautiful recipe to live on in new homes.
BEANCURD SHEET ROAST GOOSE ( VEGAN )
Ingredients :
(serves 6–8)
For the yuba “skin” :
Use three large fresh or frozen yuba (beancurd) sheets, thawed if frozen. Please use fresh or frozen yuba only. Dried sheets are not suitable for this recipe.
For the filling :
6-8 dried shiitake mushrooms
1 piece of dried wood ear fungus
100g carrots
100g canned bamboo shoot strips
100g canned water chestnuts
100g pre-cooked chestnuts
For the stir-fry seasoning :
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon white pepper
¼ teaspoon sugar
¼ teaspoon mushroom seasoning
¼ teaspoon five-spice powder.
1 teaspoon light soy sauce
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1 tablespoon vegan oyster sauce
1 tablespoon Shaoxing wine.
For the stock (use to soften and season the yuba) :
2 cups boiling water
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon white pepper,
½ teaspoon sugar,
½ teaspoon mushroom seasoning
1 teaspoon light soy sauce
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1 tablespoon vegan oyster sauce.
For cooking and finishing :
1 tablespoon neutral oil for stir-frying
1 – 2 tablespoons cornstarch for thickening
2 tablespoons vegan Peking Duck Sauce
½ tablespoon neutral oil for pan-searing.
Equipment :
a steamer
a heatproof dish that fits inside your steamer
a large frying pan, toothpicks, and a pastry brush.
Method :
1. Take the beancurd sheet out from the freezer, leave at room temperature for about 30 minutes. Remove piece by piece from the pack carefully, keep 3 sheets to one side, and quickly fold up the rest and seal them in an air tight bag or container, put back in freezer for future use.
2. Soak the shiitake mushrooms briefly in hot water for five minutes, rinse, then soak again in boiling water for thirty minutes. Keep the soaking liquid. Soak the wood ear fungus in boiling water for thirty minutes until fully expanded.
3. Finely dice all vegetables, mushrooms, and chestnuts.
4. Heat the oil in a frying pan over medium heat and stir-fry the filling for two to three minutes. Add the seasoning, and half to one cup of the mushroom soaking liquid to fry till all combine. Sprinkle in the cornstarch and stir until the mixture becomes thick and glossy. Spread the filling on a plate and wait until it’s completely cool before splitting it into three bowls for equal portioning.
5. Add all of the seasonings from the stock into a large stock pot, then add the boiling water, stir to dissolve the seasoning and combine, leave to cool for couple minutes but not longer, as we’ll need the heat to soften and rehydrate the bean curd sheet. Add a lid to preserve temperature of the stock until use. Because if the soup is not hot, it will not be able to soften the beancurd sheet.
6. Submerge the whole folded sheet in the stock, turn it over a few times to ensure the whole sheet is soaked through, bathed in the stock completely and is becoming soft. But don’t over-soak.
7. Open the sheet gently and carefully and lay it flat on the work surface, add in one-third of the filling, and roll tightly, tucking in the sides. Secure with toothpicks and pierce a few small holes to prevent puffing. Repeat with the remaining sheets.
8. Place two rolls on a lightly oiled heatproof dish and steam over high heat for ten minutes. Allow them to rest for fifteen minutes, turning the rolls over a few times to absorb moisture evenly.
9. Heat a frying pan with a little oil over medium-low heat. Gently brown the rolls, brushing generously with vegan Peking Duck Sauce as you turn them, until golden and glossy on all sides.
10. Allow the rolls to rest for fifteen to thirty minutes before slicing to serve.
Optional :
Glaze sauce: In a small deep dish, mix 2 tbsp light soy sauce, 1 tbsp vegan oyster sauce and 2 tbsp sesame oil together. You can simply drizzle it around the vegan roast goose before serving.
Helpful notes :
The rolls can be prepared a day in advance and steamed and pan-seared just before serving.
If Peking Duck Sauce is unavailable, hoisin sauce with a splash of maple syrup works beautifully.
Garnish with steamed greens and coriander.
Thank you for being here at the very beginning of Beyond the Rice Bowl.
Please come and join us for good food, little stories, and a delicious journey into the art of vegan cooking.
Here, I wish you an auspicious Year of the Horse! May peace and joy be with you always, and may the Golden Horse welcome spring and bring you abundant blessings.
