Stinky Tofu

Fried Stinky Tofu with Pickled Cabbage and Chilli Sauce

A famous Taiwanese and Chinese night-market snack: pungent fermented tofu fried until crisp, served with tangy pickled cabbage and a sharp, savoury chilli sauce.

Prep

20 min

Cook

15 min

Total

35 min

Serves

4

Difficulty

Medium

Recipe ingredients

• •500 g (1 lb 2 oz) firm fermented stinky tofu, traditional fermented stinky tofu in brine, or null
• •200 g (7 oz) Napa cabbage, shredded, for quick pickle
• •1 tsp fine sea salt
• •1 tsp caster sugar, for the quick pickle
• •30 ml (2 tbsp) rice vinegar
• •60 ml (¼ cup) Chinese chilli-garlic sauce, e.g. Lao Gan Ma or sambal oelek
• •2 cloves garlic, finely grated
• •15 ml (1 tbsp) light soy sauce
• •10 g (1 tbsp) fresh ginger, finely grated
• •500 ml (2 cups) neutral frying oil, peanut or canola; smoke point ≥ 190 °C / 375 °F
• •2 g (½ tsp) white pepper, optional, for the chilli sauce

Steps

1. 1 Make the quick pickle: toss the shredded Napa cabbage with the salt and sugar in a bowl. Massage for 1 minute until wilted, add the rice vinegar, and set aside to pickle for at least 15 minutes. Drain before serving.
2. 2 Make the chilli sauce: stir together the chilli-garlic sauce, grated garlic, grated ginger, soy sauce, and white pepper (if using) in a small bowl. Set aside.
3. 3 Prepare the tofu: gently lift the fermented tofu from its brine (do not rinse the pieces you intend to fry, the smell is the point), and pat each piece dry with paper towels. Excess brine causes dangerous splattering, so be thorough.
4. 4 Heat the oil in a wok or heavy saucepan to 175 °C / 350 °F. Use a thermometer; the tofu must be fully submerged.
5. 5 Fry the tofu in small batches for 3 to 4 minutes per side, until the exterior is deep golden-brown and crisp and the inside is hot and just-set. The tofu should puff slightly and sound hollow when tapped.
6. 6 Drain on a wire rack (not paper towels, which will make it soggy). Cut each piece open across the top to form a pocket.
7. 7 To serve: stuff each warm tofu pocket with a spoonful of the drained pickled cabbage, then spoon over the chilli sauce. Eat immediately, while the outside is still crackling.