Black Pepper Tofu

By lorik

Ingredients

• 2 cups canola oil
• 1 3⁄4 lb. firm tofu, cut into 1″ cubes
• 1 ⁄2 cup cornstarch
• 11 tbsp. unsalted butter
• 3 tbsp. finely chopped ginger
• 12 small shallots, thinly sliced
• 12 cloves garlic, crushed
• 8 red serrano chiles, stemmed and thinly sliced
• 5 tbsp. coarsely ground black pepper
• 3 tbsp. kecap manis (sweet soy sauce; available at onlinefoodgrocery.com)
• 3 tbsp. light soy sauce
• 4 tsp. dark soy sauce
• 2 tbsp. sugar
• 16 small scallions, cut into 1 1⁄4″ pieces
• Cooked white rice, for serving

Details

Servings 4
Adapted from saveur.com

Preparation

Step 1

Heat oil in a 12″ skillet over medium-high heat. Toss tofu and cornstarch in a bowl until evenly coated. Fry tofu until browned all over, about 3 minutes. Drain and set aside; discard oil, and wipe skillet clean. Return skillet to medium heat with butter. Add ginger, shallots, garlic, and chiles; cook until soft, about 15 minutes. Stir in pepper, soy sauces, and sugar. Return tofu to skillet; cook, stirring, until warmed through, about 2 minutes. Stir in scallions; serve over rice.