Orange-Chicken style Fried Tofu

The real hero here is the sauce. This “orange chicken” sauce makes the Panda Express version taste bland in comparison. Spicy, tangy, sweet, umami, savory, it has every flavor. Use it to dress some fried tofu, fried chicken, or as a salad dressing.

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup sugar

  • 3/4 cup white vinegar

  • 1/3 cup soy sauce

  • 1/4 cup water

  • 1 orange, zested and juiced

  • Add dash of Shaoxing wine

  • Add 1 tablespoon corn starch slurry

  • 3 Cloves Garlic, grated

  • 1 tablespoon Ginger, grated

  • 1+ Chilies, minced, to taste

  • Firm tofu

  • White Flour

  • Corn Starch

  • Salt

Directions

  1. Add sugar, vinegar, soy sauce, and water to a saucepan. Bring to a boil and simmer.

  2. Add a dash of Shaoxing wine and simmer for 10 minutes.

  3. Combine 1 tablespoon of corn starch and 1 tablespoon of water to make a cornstarch slurry. Add it to the sauce and simmer for 5 minutes, thickening.

  4. Turn off the heat once the sauce has reached the right consistency. Grate in 3 cloves of garlic, 1 tbs of ginger, and 1+ minced chilies, seeds included, to taste. Do not let the sauce boil.

  5. In a bowl, mix 50/50 flour/corn starch and a pinch of salt. In a separate bowl, beat 2 eggs.

  6. Drain tofu and cut into 1inch square pieces.

  7. Dredge tofu in flour, then egg, then flour again, and deep fry. Remove when blonde in color. When Tofu is cool, fry tofu again until darker in color.

  8. Toss tofu in sauce, serve with green onions and sesame seeds.