Shallot Oil Noodles

Step 1

Make the Crispy Shallots. Heat up vegetable oil in a non-stick pan on medium heat. While oil is heating, peel and slice shallots into very thin strips. Once oil is shimmering, place sliced shallots in and fry until golden brown, around 7 minutes. Note: especially keep an eye on the shallots after around 5 minutes. Once they begin to brown, they can turn too dark very fast. Strain & drain the shallots, and set aside both the shallots and the shallot-infused oil.

Step 2

Prepare the Tofu. Press tofu with a tofu press or a heavy object for at least 15 minutes, draining excess liquid. Slice tofu into ~1 cm thick rectangular slices. In a non-stick pan (I usually just pour out excess oil and use the same pan), heat up the prepared shallot-infused oil on medium-high heat (this seems like a lot of oil, but it's for the noodle sauce as well). Fry the tofu slices until both sides are lightly golden-brown, around 5 minutes.

Step 3

Finish the sauce & Noodles. When the tofu is almost done frying, start boiling the noodles. Cook the noodles according to packaged instructions. Once the tofu slices are golden-brown on both sides, remove them from the pan, and add soy sauces and sugar. Note: Let After frying the tofu, let the oil cool down slightly so the soy sauces won't burn immediately. Stir to emulsify and slowly bring the sauce to a boil. After cooking for 1-2 minutes, turn off the heat and add the cooked noodles. Toss to combine. If the sauce appears too dry, add a few tablespoons of noodle cooking water. Finish with a healthy sprinkling of toasted sesame seeds, fried shallots, and fresh scallions.