Time: 1hr press / 1-2hr marinate / 45min cook
Servings: 4-6
Rating: 4/5
Recipe by Bill from The Woks of Life: https://thewoksoflife.com/salt-and-pepper-tofu/
INGREDIENTS
Brine
- 28oz firm tofu, 1.5″x2″ rectangles 1/2″ thick
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 tsp sugar
- 2.5 cups warm water
Wet Seasoning
- 2 tsp sesame oil
- 1/4 cup Chinese cooking wine
Dry Seasoning
- 1.5 tsp salt
- 1.5 tsp ground white pepper
- 1/2 tsp ground Sichuan peppercorn
- 1/2 tsp galangal powder
- 1/4 cup flour
- 1/4 cup cornstarch
Tofu dish
- 1/4 cup vegetable oil
- 10 cloves garlic, chopped
- 2 long hot green peppers, seeded & thinly sliced
- 2 shallots, round slices
- 2 scallions, chopped
- 2 tbs cilantro, chopped
INSTRUCTIONS
- Slice & press tofu.
- Make brine and soak tofu for 1-2hr.
- Remove and let tofu sit for 5min to drain. Toss tofu in sesame oil and Shaoxing wine.
- Combine salt, white pepper, Sichuan peppercorn, and galangal powder. Mix HALF of the seasoning with the flour & cornstarch.
- Dredge tofu through dry seasoning.
- Chop garlic, peppers, shallots, scallions, cilantro.
- Heat vegetable oil on medium in frying pan. Cook garlic until golden brown. Strain from oil & set aside.
- Turn heat to medium high. Brown tofu on both sides, ~5min/side.
- Drain excess oil. Sautee green peppers and shallots for 30 seconds.
- Add back tofu and toss for 1min.
- Add in scallions, cilantro, and garlic and toss for 30 seconds. Sprinkle with the remaining dry seasonings and toss to combine.
- Remove from heat and serve.
Thoughts
This is definitely on the spicy side. I used seeded jalapenos for the green peppers and the white pepper comes through strong. I didn’t have Sichuan peppercorns and used 2 tsp of white pepper instead. I would dredge each piece of tofu instead of sprinkling the dry seasoning as it didn’t form a very good crust. I would also start with 1/4 cup oil for frying and add more if needed. It was a fun recipe to try but a few things need tweaking.
