The New York Times once described raw tofu as having “the texture and disposition of a particularly upbeat sponge” – sauteeing, the writer decreed, was the only way to render the stuff “acceptable”. As it happens, I often eat the creamy, wobbly silken variety straight from the packet, but I wouldn’t disagree: you don’t have to be vegetarian to enjoy a hot, crisp nugget of deep-fried beancurd.
Prep 15 min
Cook 15 min
Serves 2
About 280g firm or extra-firm tofu – if using silken, skip step 3
Salt and black pepper
4 tbsp cornflour, or other starch (optional)
Neutral oil, for deep-frying
For the chilli crisp (if making)
1½ tbsp Sichuan peppercorns
3-4 tbsp gochuharu, or other chilli flakes to taste
30g roasted salted peanuts, or soybeans, roughly chopped
1 tbsp fermented black beans, finely chopped (optional)
250ml neutral oil
1 long shallot, or 2 round ones, peeled and thinly sliced
6 garlic cloves, peeled and thinly sliced
1 tsp sugar (optional)
¼ tsp MSG powder (optional)
1 A note on the tofu
Firm or extra-firm tofu is the best choice for frying – silken will be creamy inside, and pressed tofu chewier and more meaty. For the neatest results, cut into bite-sized nuggets about 3cm x 2cm. If you value crunch over appearance, break it into bite-sized pieces instead; the rougher edges will crisp up better than perfectly flat surfaces.
2 Soak the tofu
For maximum crispness, remove as much excess moisture from the tofu as possible before cooking it. Fill a bowl or pan with boiling water and season very generously with salt, so it tastes like the sea. Drop in the tofu, leave to soak for 15 minutes (the hot water will draw out liquid from the centre of the tofu; the salt’s just for seasoning).
3 Dry the tofu
Meanwhile, line a baking tray with kitchen paper or a clean tea towel. Drain the tofu, put it on the tray and top with more paper or another towel. Put another baking tray or chopping board on top, weigh that down with a couple of tins, or something else heavy, and leave to sit for 15 minutes.
4 To coat, or not to coat?
Coating the tofu is optional, but it will help with crunchiness. Put the cornflour or other starch (eg, plain or rice flour, potato starch, etc) in a shallow bowl and season generously with salt and pepper, or other spices of your choice. Add the pieces of tofu, toss to coat lightly, then shake off any excess.
5 Fry the tofu
Meanwhile, fill a deep pan by about a third with a neutral oil and heat to 180C (or until bubbles form around the end of a wooden chopstick). Add the tofu, in batches, if need be, stir once, then fry until crisp and golden. Drain on kitchen paper, season and serve with a dipping sauce, or toss through a stir-fry.
6 And now for some homemade chilli crisp
You may wish to serve your fried tofu (and just about everything else you eat, for that matter, from eggs to rice to steamed veg) with chilli crisp. Though there are many delicious ready-made versions out there, making your own allows you to tweak the basic formula (oil, chilli, crunchy beans or nuts) to suit your own taste.
7 Toast and grind the spices
Toast the peppercorns and/or any other whole spices (eg, black peppercorns, cumin and/or coriander seeds, star anise, cinnamon) in a dry pan, then roughly crush. Chilli-wise, I prefer medium-hot flakes such as Korean gochugaru, but experiment with different varieties. Toast briefly, then grind, if necessary. Put the peanuts, black beans and all the spices in a large heatproof bowl.
8 Flavour the oil
Set a heatproof sieve over a heatproof bowl. Pour the oil into a wide frying pan, add the sliced shallot and put the pan on a medium heat. Fry, stirring, until the shallot is crisp and golden, then drain into the sieve and return the oil to the pan. Add the garlic, cook until pale golden, then drain again.
9 Mix and jar
Pour the hot oil on to the spice and nut mixture, then stir in the sugar and MSG, if using; you may also wish to add salt, depending on how salty your peanuts and black beans are. Leave to cool completely, then stir in the fried shallots and garlic. Decant into a clean jar, seal and store in the fridge.