In the mood for something crunchy and flavorful and quintessentially Chinese? I got you. This salt and pepper tofu is tingly, numbing, crispy, bouncy, and so strongly seasoned that it’ll have you drooling even after you’ve finished it all. The key to it being so mouth watering is the heavy use of white pepper at every stage in the cooking process. The rest of the ingredients are just there to give a little relief and texture, but the fact that the “relief ingredients” are basically only scallion and garlic should give you some idea of how strong a role the white pepper plays. Five spice hums in the background as a sweet and familiar flavor to contrast the pungency of the white pepper, and the red peppers give the whole dish the kick it needs. Serve it with rice and it’ll have you going back for more until it’s gone, guaranteed.
Butter Count: It’s just deep fried
THE STIR FRY
1 lb extra firm tofu
1 egg, whisked in a separate bowl
1 cup cornstarch
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp white pepper
Vegetable oil for deep frying
6 cloves garlic, minced
1 small red bell pepper, seeds removed, diced
2 spicy peppers of your choosing, (I used Thai birds eye chili) seeds removed, diced
3 green onions, whites and greens separated, whites sliced into 1- or 2--inch stalks, greens sliced thinly
THE SEASONING MIXTURE
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp white pepper
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp brown sugar
1/4 tsp five spice powder
INSTRUCTIONS:
Drain the tofu and cut it into 1-inch cubes. Pat the cubes dry with paper towels.
Place the tofu cubes into the bowl with the egg. Use a spoon to lightly mix the contents until the tofu is all uniformly coated in egg.
Mix the salt and white pepper into the corn starch with a whisk until well combined.
Using some kind of slotted spoon or strainer, transfer the tofu to a large bowl with the cornstarch, allowing as much egg to drip off the tofu as possible before adding it to the cornstarch.
Shake the bowl until all of the tofu is well and uniformly coated in cornstarch.
In a large, high-walled pan or wok, heat about 1 inch of vegetable oil over high heat until shimmering.
Using a slotted spoon, transfer a few pieces of tofu at a time to the hot oil, shaking the spoon over the cornstarch bowl first to remove any excess coating. Repeat until there is a single layer of tofu cooking in the pan. Cook the tofu about 5 minutes, flipping halfway through, until golden brown.
NOTE: Cook the tofu in batches, if needed, depending on the size of the pan.
Using a slotted spoon or wire strainer, transfer the cooked tofu to a paper towel-lined plate.
When the tofu is finished cooking, clean out the pan or wok and add 2 fresh tablespoons of oil. Place it over medium-high heat.
Add the garlic, bell pepper, spicy pepper, and the whites of the green onions. Cook until the onions are slightly browned.
Turn off the heat and add the tofu, allowing it to re-heat in the warmth of the pan.
Mix the seasoning mixture in a small bowl and pour it over the stir fry. Toss the contents of the pan until everything is coated in the seasoning.
Serve it with rice and enjoy!