Salt and pepper tofu
You don't need a huge amount of oil to deep-fry the tofu for this dish. Just use a small saucepan and fry in batches.
Ingredients
600g classic tofu (should be soft to the touch but not silken)
1 cup potato starch (or corn starch)
2-4 cups vegetable oil, for deep frying
3 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
1 large red chilli, roughly chopped
2 spring onions, sliced
salt and freshly ground black pepper
Method
1. Put the tofu between two pieces of kitchen paper and place a plate on top. Stand for about 10 minutes to press and remove excess moisture. Cut the tofu into 5cm cubes and roll in the starch. Allow to stand for 5 minutes while you heat the oil to 175C.
2. Fry the tofu in batches for about 3 minutes each batch, then drain on a wire rack.
3. Heat a wok over medium heat and add about 1 tbsp of oil (I prefer to use fresh oil for this, but you can use the frying oil if you like). Add the garlic, chilli and spring onions and fry until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the tofu, season very well with salt and black pepper and gently toss to coat the tofu in the fried aromatics. Remove to a plate and serve.
Also try: Stir-fried cauliflower with Sichuan pepper
Find more of Adam Liaw's recipes in the Good Food New Classics cookbook.
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Adam Liaw is a cookbook author and food writer, co-host of Good Food Kitchen and former MasterChef winner.
