Jan 10, 2012: Tofu Tuesday - Salt and Pepper Tofu

It's been awhile since I've had a Tofu Tuesday, but this one is inspired by a dish I had at a local restaurant - Salt and Pepper tofu.

The salt and pepper tofu was deep fried with a flavorful salt and pepper coating. The center of the tofu cubes were soft and custard-like.

This is my attempt at recreating the dish.
I opted to use medium firm tofu since firm would not give a custard consistency while silken may not hold up to the handling.

Salt and Pepper Tofu
1 Block of Tofu, medium firm, cut into 1 inch cubes.
1 T Cornstarch
1/2 t Salt
1/4 t White Pepper
1/4 t Black Pepper
Scant 1/4 t Sichuan Peppercorn, toasted and ground.
1/4 C oil for frying

Garnish
1 Green Onion, coarse chop
1/2 Serrano Pepper, minced
1 clove garlic, minced
a few sprigs Cilantro

Directions
1) Mix salt and peppers in a bag
2) Add tofu to bag to coat
3) Heat oil and pan fry over medium heat until nicely browned on all sides
4) Drain browned cubes on a paper towel.
5) Pour out oil from the pan, leaving about 1 T.
6) Fry the garlic, green onion and Serrano for about 30 seconds to 1 minute.
7) Add tofu and mix together
8) Plate and garnish with cilantro

My YouTube Video of the effort.