Twelve ingredients and forty minutes, fifteen of which are the tofu sitting under a weight.
The whole recipe is arranged around keeping the crisp. The tofu is fried separately, the glaze is finished separately, and they meet for a few seconds.
Why This Recipe Works
- Pressing extra-firm tofu drives out water that would otherwise steam it in the pan.
- A soy toss before the cornstarch seasons the tofu rather than just the coating.
- Cornstarch gives a dry surface that fries to genuine crispness.
- Frying on several faces builds caramelised edges rather than one crisp side.
- Thickening the glaze before the tofu returns means it clings instead of soaking in.
Ingredient Notes
- Extra-firm tofu
- Fourteen ounces, drained and pressed fifteen minutes. Extra-firm and pressed is what makes frying rather than steaming possible.
- Cornstarch, in two places
- Three tablespoons coating the tofu and a teaspoon in the glaze slurry. Different jobs — one gives crispness, one gives gloss.
- Soy sauce, in two places
- A tablespoon on the tofu before the cornstarch and two more in the glaze. The first seasons the tofu itself.
- Honey
- Three tablespoons, the largest glaze component. The glaze is honey-forward and carries no chilli at all.
How to Make It
Press fifteen minutes, cube, coat
Press tofu for 15 minutes and cut into 1-inch cubes. Toss with 1 tablespoon soy sauce, then cornstarch.
Fry on several faces, then out
Heat oil in a wide skillet and fry tofu on several faces until golden with dark caramelised edges. Transfer out.
Glaze whisked, simmered, thickened
Whisk honey, soy sauce, rice vinegar, garlic, and sesame oil; simmer 1 minute, then stir in the cornstarch slurry until glossy.
Toss just until coated
Return tofu and toss just until coated, keeping the crisp edges visible.
Sesame and scallion, nothing under it
Finish with sesame seeds and scallions. Serve without rice, noodles, or vegetables.
Five Steps, All Defending the Same Thing
Tofu is about eighty-five per cent water and it does not brown willingly. Every rung below exists to get a crisp caramelised edge onto it and then to avoid destroying that edge with the sauce.
Press the water out15 minutes under a weight
14 oz of EXTRA-FIRM tofu, drained and pressed for 15 MINUTES. Water is the enemy of browning: an unpressed block steams in its own moisture and comes out pale and soft however hot the pan. Extra-firm rather than firm because it holds cube shape through frying and tossing.
Season the tofu, then dry it again
1-inch cubes tossed with 1 TBSP of soy sauce FIRST, then 3 tbsp of cornstarch. The order matters: soy seasons the tofu itself rather than only the coating, and the cornstarch then takes up that surface moisture and turns it into a dry shell that can fry.
Fry on SEVERAL facesgolden with dark caramelised edges
2 tbsp of oil in a wide skillet, fried until golden with DARK CARAMELISED EDGES, then transferred OUT. Several faces rather than two - a cube has six, and you want caramelised edges rather than one crisp side. It leaves the pan so it is not sitting in what comes next.
Finish the glaze without the tofu in it
3 tbsp honey, 2 tbsp soy sauce, 1 tbsp rice vinegar, 3 finely minced garlic cloves and 1 tsp toasted sesame oil, simmered 1 MINUTE, then 1 tsp of cornstarch in 1 tbsp water stirred in UNTIL GLOSSY. The glaze is thickened to its final state before the tofu ever returns - a thin sauce would soak straight into a cornstarch crust. It is honey-forward with NO chilli.
Toss for secondsjust until coated
Returned and tossed JUST UNTIL COATED, keeping the crisp edges VISIBLE. This is the shortest step and the easiest to overdo. Then 2 tsp sesame seeds and 2 sliced scallions - components the title names neither of - and step 5 closes the bowl: no rice, no noodles, no vegetables.
Success Tips
- Press properly — wet tofu will not crisp no matter how hot the pan.
- Turn the cubes onto several faces rather than just two.
- Toss for seconds, not minutes; a long toss softens everything you just built.
Serving Ideas
Four servings in cream bowls, the golden fried cubes with their dark caramelised edges under the glossy honey-garlic glaze, scattered with sesame seeds and sliced scallion. Nothing under it.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I keep the tofu crisp?
Press it, coat it in cornstarch, fry it separately, and toss it in the glaze only at the very end. Baking it in the sauce would undo all of that.
Is it spicy?
No. The glaze is honey-forward and contains no chilli.
Should I serve it over rice?
Not on this plate. Step 5 leaves out rice, noodles and vegetables.
