Black Pepper Tofu

This is a classic dish served in old-time Chinese-American restaurants. It is tasty as well as being an easy and quick dish to prepare. Serve with steamed rice and a side of veggies.

The key to cooking this version of the dish successfully at home is to use medium heat and cook slowly. Notice in the video I am not duplicating the high heat stir frying method used in a restaurant to prepare this dish because that heat level is not attainable in the typical home setting and besides, it is not critical to achieving a decent result with this dish. So, go slowly over medium heat.

Note: For more authentic use fermented black beans in addition to the ginger/garlic aromatic step.

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INGREDIENTS

• One carton firm tofu, approximately 16 ounces
• 2 tablespoons oil
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• ½ thumb sized piece ginger
• 1 teaspoon fermented black beans rinsed and slightly mashed (optional)
• 1 green pepper
• 1 red onion
• ½ to ¾ cup water or stock
• Thickener: 1 teaspoon cornstarch with one tablespoon water; mix in small dish and set aside

MARINADE FOR THE TOFU

• 1 tablespoon oyster sauce
• 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch

THE SAUCE

• 2 tablespoons Shaoxing rice wine (or sherry)-optional
• 1 tablespoon oyster sauce
• ½ teaspoon sugar
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon dark soy sauce
• ¼ to ½ teaspoon ground black pepper

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Lightly coat a skillet on stovetop with oil and preheat at medium-medium low heat for about 5 minutes.

2. Preheat oven to 400F.

3. Gather the ingredients.

4. Remove the tofu from carton; lightly pat dry and cut it into ½ to ¾ inch cubes and place in a bowl.

5. To the tofu add the oyster sauce, 1 tsp of black pepper, and the sesame oil. Gently mix/fold thoroughly with your fingertips (be careful not to break up the tofu).

6. Sprinkle 2 tablespoons of corn-starch and coat tofu as evenly as possible.

7. Place tofu on a small baking sheet and bake at 400 F for approximately 20 minutes.

8. While the tofu is baking, prepare the sauce--mix the ingredients for the sauce into a small bowl and set aside.

9. Mince the ginger and garlic (or use ginger and garlic powder). (Optional-rinse the black beans and mash a few of them into the garlic ginger.) Quarter the onion and cut roughly into ½ to ¾ inch pieces. Do the same with the green pepper. Try to chop ingredients the same size so it cooks evenly.

10. Place a tablespoon of oil in the skillet at medium heat and saute the vegetables until cooked through about 5 to 10 minutes or to degree you want (I like a little crispy but not raw). During this time move, the vegetables around the skillet to ensure they get even exposure to heat.

12. Add the tofu once the veggies are done. Then add the sauce, and fold and toss to coat everything.

13. Add the water (or stock) around the edges of the pan. Bring to a gentle boil. Then fold to combine the ingredients and stock. If the dish looks too runny, add the thickener and bring to a boil. Once everything is coated with sauce, sprinkle with a little black pepper.

14. Serve with rice

* Fermented Black Beans- these very inexpensive fermented soybeans, generally available at Asian grocery stores, are known in Chinese as Douchi (豆豉). Substitute ready-made Black Bean Garlic paste usually available in jar form in the international section of supermarkets (avoid the black beans packed in chili oil—that’s something else entirely).