When Too Much Really IS Too Much

I made it clear years ago, when I first bought Plenty by Ottolenghi, that I really liked his cooking style, and use of flavors. But there are times when I think he overdoes things.

Like the saffron pasta with spiced butter. No one - really no one – should have that much butter per serving (1/2 cup!!). I made it the way it was printed first, and we all suffered from “toxic butter shock” that evening.

The next time I made it, I reduced the butter by more than three-quarters and it was just about right. I also didn’t waste my hard-earned saffron in the homemade pasta the second time, either; all the earthy flavor and beautiful color of the saffron cooked out into the pasta water and vanished. The next time, I added the saffron to the spiced butter. Brilliant, eh?

For today’s recipe, I made a lot of changes... in the ingredients and their amounts. Half of his recipe would easily feed 3-4 so I started by halving everything. But that didn’t quite work, because I wanted more of some elements, and less of others. And, in true Goldilocks fashion, some things were just right.

Half the originally-specified quantity of tofu and half the shallots were perfect. Small red and “not too hot” chiles aren’t all that easy to come by (even here in “chile country”) so I used a red bell pepper and some red pepper flakes. For us, more ginger is always better. I think we used the full amount specified in the original.

I reduced the star ingredient of the dish – black peppercorns – to about a third the original amount. The full amount - from our first making of this recipe - truly overwhelmed the dish and made it unpleasant to eat. None of the other ingredients even mattered with so much pepper.

Finally, while we enjoyed this dish with the tofu deep-fried (as seen in these photos), we are trying to use less fat when we cook. I used a trick from another favorite tofu recipe (for which I also reduced the oil) and we really like the end results.

You might like the full amount of the pepper, and that is fine - each to her/his own, we say! For us, the balance of flavors is more important.

~ David

Black Pepper Tofu My Way

1 14-ounce package extra firm tofu
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon vegetable oil

4 tablespoons unsalted butter
6 shallots, peeled and thinly sliced
1 red bell pepper, seeded and sliced
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 3-inch piece ginger, coarsely grated
2 tablespoons kecap manis (sweet soy sauce)
4 tablespoons regular soy sauce
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon coarsely crushed black peppercorns
8 scallions, green parts only, cut into 1-inch pieces
cooked rice, for serving


Halve tofu lengthwise, then cut crosswise into 1/2-inch-thick slices and pat dry well. (If you plan to use chopsticks, cut each slab in half to make them more manageable.) Put 1 tablespoon soy sauce in a wide shallow dish, then add tofu, turning to coat, and let stand 10 minutes. Pat tofu dry.

Heat oil in a 14-inch heavy, nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until hot but not smoking. Add tofu in 1 layer and cook, turning over once, until tofu is browned, about 3-4 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate, and wipe out skillet. If you have a small skillet, this can be done in batches.

Start the rice. It will take about 20 minutes, as will the rest of the recipe.

Melt the butter in a large, clean skillet over medium-low heat. Add the butter; when melted, add the shallots, bell pepper, pepper flakes, and ginger. Cook for about 15 minutes, or until the vegetables are soft and sweet.

Add the kecap manis, soy sauce, and sugar; stir to mix well. Add the black peppercorns and scallions; cook for 1-2 minutes, or until scallions are just starting to soften.

Add reserved fried tofu and stir to coat. Cook for 1-2 minutes to reheat the tofu.

Spoon rice into serving bowls, and top with tofu, vegetables, and sauce.


Serves 3-4.




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