Grandma's Crispy Tofu

This is a simple yet impressive Chinese dish.  My grandmother would whip this dish up in a just a few minutes and the squares always disappeared just as quickly.  All the ingredients are readily available at any grocery store, so give it a shot!

1     Package Firm Tofu (14oz)
1     Egg
3     Stalks of Scallions
3     Tablespoons of Soy Sauce
1     Tablespoon of Sugar
1     Teaspoon of Salt
1/2  Cup of Water
1/2  Cup Vegetable Oil 
1/2  Cup of Corn Starch

Begin by heating the oil in a frying pan, cast iron works particularly well.  

Then begin the tofu preparation:

Step One:  Pat dry the tofu with a paper towel and cut into 1" squares (half the tofu block lengthwise first, then cut crossways into even parts) and coat the tofu slices with salt.
Step Two:  Whisk the egg in a bowl.
Step Three:  Gently coat all sides of the tofu in corn starch, make sure to cover the entire piece, carefully shaking the cornstarch helps.
Step Four:  Coat the tofu in the egg mixture and set down (be gentle) in pan, cook on medium-low heat until brown on both sides.

Hint:  Blot the tofu on a paper towel when browned if using a smaller pan.

After lifting the tofu pieces out of the pan, do NOT drain the oil and keep the burner on.

Then begin the sauce:

Step One:  Slice the scallion in 2" diagonals and drop into the same pan and let it char.
Step Two:  Add the soy sauce, sugar, and water.
Step Three:  Let it simmer for 1 minute and remove from heat.

Serve stacked with scallion sauce drizzled on top, or family style on a large plate with scallion sauce in a ramekin on the side.