Salt + Pepper Tofu

Method

1. Crush the peppercorns in a pestle and mortar or grind them in a pepper mill, then combine the crushed pepper with the salt, sugar and Chinese 5 spice in a bowl. This is your spice mix.
2. Tear the tofu into bite-sized pieces, then pat the tofu dry with a clean tea towel. Add the tofu to a large mixing bowl and pour over half of the spice mix. Gently mix until the tofu is coated evenly in the spice mix, then add the cornflour and gently stir until the tofu is also fully coated in the cornflour.
3. Pour some vegetable oil into a wok or high-sided frying pan on a medium-high heat. The oil should be roughly 1cm (0.4”) deep. When the oil is hot (you can test this by dropping a crumb of tofu into the oil - the oil will be ready if the tofu sizzles as soon as it hits the oil), cook the tofu in two batches until it’s lightly golden all over and crispy, which will take around 4-6 minutes depending on the temperature of the oil. It’s important to cook the tofu in batches so you don’t overcrowd the pan. Be careful not to overcook the tofu - otherwise it can take on a rubbery texture.
4. When the tofu is cooked, transfer it to kitchen paper to soak up any excess oil. Pour the oil into a bowl and set aside (you can reuse the cooking oil in another recipe, if you like), leaving a small residue of oil in the wok to cook the peppers and garlic.
5. Add the wok back on a medium-high heat, then add the peppers and garlic. Cook for a minute just to soften the peppers slightly, then add the tofu back to the wok along with the remaining spice mix. Give everything a final stir, then transfer to a serving plate and top with the spring onion.