I was supposed to get this post to you this time last week. I can’t say exactly what happened but I can tell you it’s here now. As a bonus I’ll get to share the news of Yotam’s new cookbook coming out this spring. As I reorganized my cookbooks this weekend, I counted three Ottolenghi tomes. I admit to more than a small amount of jealousy that my friend Heather’s versions are signed as she was his Pilates instructor in London. We have tentative plans to go to his latest book signing in Toronto. If I go, I vow to get this one signed.
While many cooks now offer their recipes online, I am a fan of the printed cookbook. I use them for relaxation, reference and general inspiration. The online version is just never going to match those needs. This is the part when I tell you I got the following Ottolenghi recipe online. I am nothing without my contradictions.
This recipe needs one major note. Do not use firm tofu. Use medium tofu. It needs softness and the firm version is just not as mouth friendly. That said, the flavors of this dish are godly and I like to serve mine with sticky rice to add to the textural experience.
Black Pepper Tofu
Serves 4
Prep Time: 45 minutes (30 to press the tofu and prepare mise en place)
800g firm tofu (such as Tau Kwa brand)
vegetable oil for frying
cornflour to dust the tofu
150g butter
12 small shallots (350g in total), thinly sliced
8 fresh red chillies (fairly mild ones), thinly sliced
12 garlic cloves, crushed
3 tbsp chopped fresh root ginger
3 tbsp sweet soy sauce (kecap manis)
3 tbsp light soy sauce
4 tsp dark soy sauce
2 tbsp caster sugar
5 tbsp coarsely crushed black peppercorns (use a pestle and mortar or a spice grinder)
16 small and thin spring onions, cut into 3cm segments
Method:
Start with the tofu. Pour enough oil into a large frying pan or wok to come 5mm up the sides and heat. Cut the tofu into large cubes, about 3 x 2cm. Toss them in some cornflour and shake off the excess, then add to the hot oil. (You’ll need to fry the tofu pieces in a few batches so they don’t stew in the pan.) Fry, turning them around as you go, until they are golden all over and have a thin crust. As they are cooked, transfer them onto kitchen paper.
Remove the oil and any sediment from the pan, then put the butter inside and melt it. Add the shallots, chillies, garlic and ginger. Sauté on low to medium heat for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the ingredients have turned shiny and are totally soft. Next, add the soy sauces and sugar and stir, then add the crushed black pepper.
Add the tofu to warm it up in the sauce for about a minute. Finally, stir in the spring onions. Serve hot, with steamed rice.