Air Fryer Salt & Pepper Tofu

• 14 ozextra-firm tofu — pressed, cut into 1-inch cubes
• 2 tbspcornstarch
• 1 tbspneutral oil
• 3/4 tspfine sea salt
• 1/2 tspwhite pepper — freshly ground if you can
• 1/4 tspSichuan peppercorns — toasted and ground; optional
• 2 clovesgarlic — minced
• 1red chili — thinly sliced; seed for less heat
• 2scallions — thinly sliced

Method

1. 01

   Press the tofu 15 minutes, then cube and pat dry. Toss with cornstarch and oil until each piece is evenly, dryly coated.

2. 02

   Air fry at 400°F for 16 minutes, shaking the basket twice, until golden and crisp on the edges.

3. 03

   While it cooks, stir together the salt, white pepper, and ground Sichuan pepper. In a dry skillet over low heat, warm the garlic and chili in a teaspoon of oil for a minute until fragrant — don't let the garlic brown.

4. 04

   Tip the hot tofu into the skillet with the garlic and chili, sprinkle over the salt-pepper mix, and toss to coat. Add scallions off the heat and serve at once.