Salt n' Pepper Tofu here!
What I make when I don't feel like cooking
Have You Eaten Yet? Here’s a new recipe from my kitchen to yours that I hope you’ll love! For more recipes, you can order my new cookbook, Chinese Enough, or purchase Mooncakes and Milk Bread for all things Chinese Baking!
Happy first week of December!
Hope you had a lovely Thanksgiving and enjoyed all the sides and slices of pie your heart desired. I contributed my medley of brown foods to the Thanksgiving buffet and was gifted some fresh caught Dungeness crab in return, which we promptly made a crab alfredo udon with. I didn’t venture out for any Black Friday shopping but we did take Olive on a magical shopping spree at Noe Valley Pet Co.! Celia, who owns the legendary Omnivore Books in SF, also owns the pet store with her wife and kindly gave Olive a private shopping experience. I may have sobbed afterwards because it was so special (she’s never been to a pet store before) and she looks so adorable in her new winter uniform! For the rest of the long weekend we watched and discussed Wicked, gardened, and cooked cozy foods.
Oh! and I found out Chinese Enough is one of the best cookbooks of 2024 for the LA Times, San Francisco Chronicle, and NPR’s Here & Now! Wow wow wow!
This in between time before we really get into the swing of holidays is sort of interesting. Personally, I’m craving a break from heavy cream and marathon cooking/baking. I was fairly successful with the concept of resting over the long weekend and resisted doing too much as soon as Thursday was over. So much so that it was hard getting into recipe testing mindset. I was thinking about what I end up making for dinner when I truly don’t feel like cooking but I also don’t want to order delivery either. More often than not I reach for a package of tofu that is almost always in the back of my fridge (thank you, Costco), cube it up and throw it in the oven to then eat with a bowl of rice and sauces. If I’m being intentionally, I either turn it into this Salt and Pepper Tofu or Honey Walnut Tofu. The active time in this recipe is maybe 10 minutes tops and the rest of the work comes from the oven. My oven baked method for crispy tofu has been one of my favorite ways to make tofu for years. It’s so effortless, a little healthier than frying but still so so satisfying.
The secret to extra crispy oven baked tofu is sweet or regular potato starch. Cornstarch works just fine, but sweet potato starch takes it to this higher level of texture. You can buy sweet potato starch at asian grocery stores but most conventional stores will sell potato starch (look for Bob’s Red Mill).
When it comes to Chinese-style “salt and pepper” dishes, it goes deeper than just salt and pepper. Many people will use MSG as the salt and pepper can be white, black, tingly Sichuan peppercorns, or a blend of them all to create a complex mix of spice. For this recipe I like to use both black pepper and white pepper, the latter being more funky and pungent, and toss in fresh jalapeños for a more intense fiery heat. I was complaining a few weeks ago about how jalapeños aren’t hot anymore and then I got the spiciest pep I’ve had in a while, so add them at your own discretion. I like to eat each cube of tofu with a jalapeño slice on top for a perfect bite. And don’t forget the sugar! Trust me, the touch of sweetness is so nice to balance the salt and heat.
Enjoy your salt and pepper tofu and the peaceful time we have before holidays get crazy!
Salt and Pepper Tofu
Serves 2 (easily doubled or tripled)
Avocado oil, for brushing
1 lb firm tofu
1/3 cup sweet potato starch
3 tbsp avocado or olive oil
1 tsp coarse salt
1 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp white pepper
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 thinly sliced jalapeños
Fried garlic, optional
Thinly sliced green onions
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Line another rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper (important! Don’t use foil because the tofu will stick!). Brush or spray the parchment paper with oil.
Drain the block of tofu and cut into 1-inch cubes or desired shape. Line a baking sheet or cutting board with paper towels or a clean kitchen towel. Arrange the tofu over the towel and cover with more paper towels or another clean kitchen towel. Place a heavy pan over the tofu to press out the extra moisture. Press the tofu for 15 to 30 minutes.
Add the sweet potato starch to a medium bowl. Dip a few pieces of tofu into the starch, making sure to fully coat each piece, and arrange on the parchment paper. Repeat with remaining tofu pieces. Brush or spray the arranged tofu cubes with oil. Bake the tofu until crispy and lightly golden brown, no need to toss half way, 30 to 35 minutes.
In a large bowl, toss the crispy tofu with salt, sugar, white pepper, black pepper, and jalapeños. Top with fried garlic and green onions before serving with steamed rice.
Ohh I've never heard of sweet potato starch before. I definitely want to try this. I love tofu and am the type to get anxious if we're running low in the fridge and am kind of incredulous/offended when people tell me they don't like it. Excited for a new way to prepare it. Thanks!!
I literally ordered salt and pepper tofu at a restaurant yesterday and was lamenting that I could never make it at home because I refuse to deep-fry anything. I’m so excited to try this!