General Tao’s Tofu

General Tao’s Tofu

 

 

I found this recipe on VegWeb. It is currently the most rated recipe on the website and I thought I’d attempt to make it. I’ve made it twice already, and each time it’s been quite tasty. I didn’t stick to the recipe the entire time, so if you’d like to check out the original website where the recipe can be found, click the link above. I’m going to post my variations, because I think it yielded a better result (personally, though Drew liked it too). I’m a big fan of ginger and garlic. Also, this dish takes bit of time to make, despite the time given on VegWeb. I have found that this dish is well worth it if you take a lot of time to prep and have all of the correct ingredients. I’ll be the first to admit that my method is a little more labor intensive… perhaps “labor intensive” isn’t the phrase to use. We’ll go with slightly inefficient. But this recipe isn’t about efficiency, it’s about flavor and substance. The recipe is on the next page…

 

 

Ingredients:

 

For the Fried tofu and marinade:

1 Package Extra Firm Tofu (Don’t use silken tofu like Mori-Nu if you can avoid it)

1/2 cup soy sauce (Low sodium or otherwise)

1 Tablespoon dried ginger powder

1 Teaspoon vinegar (I used apple cider vinegar)

1 cup cornstarch

1 1/2 Tablespoons of Cayenne pepper

1 Tablespoon of black pepper

Vegetable or Canola oil for frying

 

Sauce:

1 Teaspoon of oil

1 Bunch of fresh green onions (approximately 8 onions)

1/8 cup of fresh minced ginger

1/8 cup of fresh minced garlic

1 1/3 cups of vegetable stock

4 Tablespoons of soy sauce

8 Tablespoons of sugar

2 Tablespoons of dry sherry (if available)

2 Tablespoons vinegar (once again, I used apple cider vinegar)

Cornstarch mixture (2 Tablespoons cornstarch mixed thoroughly with 4 Tablespoons cold water)

Sesame oil to taste (optional)

 

Directions:

 

1. Drain the tofu thoroughly. My method is wrapping the entire block uncut with a large cloth, placing it on a plate, placing another plate on top (upside down, it’ll form something that looks kind of like a UFO), and then placing some sort of weight on it (I used a thing of salt, don’t make it too heavy in case it squishes the tofu). It is really, really, really important that you drain it, or else you’ll get really wet, gross tofu. I cannot stress the importance of draining and drying enough.
2. Cut the tofu and place it in an air tight container overnight to freeze. You actually don’t need to do this, but it is really worth it. Freezing gives it a chewier texture that really works for this recipe. [Note: Your tofu will look bizarre when it is frozen--mine looked like lemonade tea ice cubes. Don't fret, your tofu is fine and will return to its normal color.
3. The next day, thaw the tofu by running it under cold or lukewarm water. Drain the excess water and pour the marinade of soy sauce, vinegar, and ginger powder into the container and allow to marinade for at least 45 minutes. I had mine marinading all day, but I also get up early.
4. When you're ready to get to frying, place a heavy frying pan on the stove with the oil. Turn to medium heat and allow to get good and hot. (I do this early because frying anything in semi-warm oil is no good, your food will suck up the oil and you'll get a greasy mess.) This doesn't mean you can ignore the oil though, keep checking on it to make sure it's not smoking. If so, turn down the heat. I also turn the oven on to a really low temperature, about 170° F (76° C) and place a shallow dish in it, I'll explain in a moment.
5. While the oil is heating up, get your marinaded tofu and cornstarch. Let the excess marinade drip off into the container that it was just in, or in another dish. Don't let it drip in the cornstarch, though the tofu will be a little wet still. Coat one piece at a time, and set aside on a plate. [This is a major variation from the original recipe which calls for the marinade to be dipped in an egg replacer, such as Ener-G. Because this recipe calls for the tofu to be marinaded, it doesn't really require another liquid medium to have the cornstarch stick. In fact, I think it's unnecessary for this recipe]. Coat each piece twice.
6. Fry three or four pieces of tofu at a time. Don’t overwhelm yourself by dumping all of the tofu in at the same time, it’ll cool of the oil and just be too much to deal with. Have a plate with some paper towels ready. When the tofu is medium golden brown on all sides, place on the plate and dab off excess oil. Place in the shallow dish in the oven to keep warm [this serves a dual purpose of not only keeping it warm, but if you live in a humid area (like me) the tofu will lose its crispiness if left out]. Continue this process until you get through all of the tofu.
7. While the tofu is in the oven, heat the teaspoon of oil and sautée the green onions (saving about a tablespoon for garnish), ginger, and garlic. Don’t let the garlic burn or the sauce will have a bitter taste. [You can chop the vegetables the night before to save time and refrigerate].
8. Add the vegetable stock, red peppers, soy sauce, sugar, sherry, and vinegar to the mix. Allow the sugar to dissolve completely and stir constantly, don’t let the sugar sit at the bottom of the pan to burn.
9. When everything is mixed and dissolved, add the cornstarch mixture (listed above) and stir constantly until the sauce has a thick consistency.
10. Coat the tofu completely until covered but not soggy.
11. Serve with rice, broccoli and extra sauce. Sprinkle with sesame oil if you have/like it. Wait until the end, or the flavor will get cooked out.

Please note that the sauce recipe makes quite a bit of sauce! If you double it, you’re essentially quadrupling it.