Vietnamese Salt-and-Pepper Tofu

I guess when part of the dish name is "salt," one should be prepared for something to be salty. I, however, was not prepared for the assault on my blood pressure. Otherwise, though, this was a great dish, loved by husband and toddler. This dish would work equally well with squid, shrimp, fish, and maybe even chicken. Savory, salty, crispy goodness. For your sake, gentle readers, I've drastically cut down on the salt measurement in the recipe below. If you want it spicier, increase the chile.















Dau Hu Rang Muoi
(salt-and-pepper tofu)
adapted from Secrets of the Red Lantern by Pauline Nguyen, Luke Nguyen and Mark Jensen
with rice, should serve at least 6, if not more

2 packages firm tofu
canola oil, for deep-frying
4 scallions, sliced
1 onion, thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic, smashed
2 small shallots, diced
1 red bird's eye chile, thinly sliced
rice flour for coating tofu, optional
1 lime, sliced, for garnish.
salt-and-pepper seasoning mix (recipe below)














Cut the tofu into squares--pick the size you like, then press with a cloth (or several clothes) to remove as much excess water as possible. Once try, if you want, coat with some rice flour (some say this will make it crispier, but I really haven't found there to be too big a difference). Fill a deep, non-stick skillet with enough oil to deep-fry the tofu, and heat it up nice and good. The tofu should take about five minutes to get crispy, golden brown. Once cooked, remove to a plate with a paper towel to collect any excess oil. Drain all but a tablespoon or two of oil from the skillet, and enjoy listening to the tofu crackle even after it's removed from the heat.

Over medium-high heat, saute the onion, garlic, shallots, scallions and chile till the onions are just starting to soften. Add the tofu to the pan and cook another minute. Sprinkle with the salt-and-pepper seasoning mix, serve with rice and wedges of lime.

Muoi Thien Huong
(salt and pepper seasoning mix)
barely adapted from Secrets of the Red Lantern by Pauline Nguyen, Luke Nguyen and Mark Jensen

1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon white pepper
1 teaspoon ground ginger
3/4 teaspoon five-spice powder