You know the sound before the plate even lands on the table. That violent sizzle is half the dish. Crispy-edged tofu cubes riding a screaming hot cast iron plate, coated in a glossy savory sauce with mushrooms, peppers, and onion. This is Chinese restaurant theater you can do at home with one pan.
Dust the cubes lightly in cornstarch and shallow fry until deeply golden on at least two sides. Drain on a rack. The crust is what holds up to the sauce, so don't pull them early.
Sear the mushrooms hard in a hot wok until browned. Add pepper, onion, garlic, 30 seconds. Pour in the sauce mixture, bring to a boil, thicken with the slurry until it glossily coats everything. Fold in the tofu just to coat. Finish with white pepper and a few drops of sesame oil.
Heat a cast iron plate or skillet until smoking. Slide the whole thing on. It should sound angry. Serve immediately over rice.
No sizzle plate? A ripping hot cast iron skillet does the job. The drama is mandatory; the equipment is flexible.
A plain cheese pizza is a pizza with the volume turned down. I want the loud version. Chicken on every slice, mushrooms that taste like mushrooms...
Call this a salad if you want. Then watch a plate loaded with eggs, fried tofu, fried tempeh, potatoes, and lontong shut that argument down in about...
If your ramen broth came out of a foil packet, we're fixing that tonight, and nobody has to simmer bones for twelve hours to do it. This bowl tastes...
