Black Pepper Tofu, "Clay Pot" style

Serves 6.

Hardware

• Mortar and pestle
• Large pot or Dutch oven

Ingredients

Stir-fry

• 2 Tbsp vegetable oil (plus 4 Tbsp for the sauce; see below)
• 3 shallots, diced
• 5 green onions / scallions, diced
• 2 tsp fresh ginger, minced
• 1 large carrot, sliced
• 1 small Savoy cabbage, cut into approx. 1 inch squares
• 2 packages firm tofu, cut into bite-sized rectangles
• 1/4 cup black peppercorns, crushed with a mortar and pestle.
• 2 Tbsp cornstarch

Sauce

• 6 Tbsp low-sodium soy sauce
• 4 Tbsp oyster sauce
• 3 Tbsp mirin (sweetened rice wine)
• 4 Tbsp vegetable oil

Procedure

1. Mix the sauce ingredients together and set aside.
2. Place the tofu pieces on two baking trays. Bake at 220°F until lightly browned.
3. Heat 2 Tbsp oil in a large pot or Dutch oven.
4. Stir-fry the vegetables in the order listed.
5. Give the sauce one final stir to make sure the oil is mixed in. Add the sauce, tofu, and pepper to the stir-fry. Add water to almost cover the veggies (you want this dish to have a stew-like consistency).
6. Simmer 10 minutes.
7. Mix the cornstarch with some cold water, and then mix that into the sauce to thicken it.
8. Serve in a bowl over rice.