Tofu gets such a bad reputation for being bland, but it's all down to how you cook it. How about coating it with flavour and pan frying it until it's perfectly crisp and golden?
INGREDIENTS
- Firm tofu (an average 300g pack)
- No.2 Seasoning (enough to coat your tofu approx. 4 tablespoons)
Save your seasoning - you can always add more but can't put it back in!
- Cornflour (5 tablespoons)
- Soy (3 teaspoon)
- Hoisin or oyster sauce (2 teaspoons)
We've combined soy and hoisin sauce to mimic the complexity of oyster sauce. This is a great vegetarian alternative to oyster sauce or to be used a substitute. If you don't have either, try our makeshift sweet chilli dipping sauce below.
- Sugar (1/2 teaspoon)
- Water (3 tablespoons)
- Cooking oil (4 tablespoons)
EXTRAS FOR GARNISH AND DIPPING SAUCE
- Spring onions
- No. 1 Chilli oil (1 tablespoon)
- Honey or agave syrup (1/2 tablespoon)
STEPS
- Sandwich your tofu between two pieces of paper towel and press down. You can repeat this a few times to get rid of any excess moisture.
- Cut your tofu down to whatever size you fancy - as long as they're equal.
- In a shallow dish, combine cornflour and No.2 seasoning, gently place the tofu in the mixture and cover fully and place on a plate ready for frying.
- In a separate bowl, combine soy sauce and hoisin sauce (or oyster sauce instead if you like) add a touch of sugar and water. Mix well.
- Fry your coated tofu pieces on a light to medium heat in a pan with a fair amount of oil. Try frying one off first and tasting it to get a feel for how long it needs in the pan.
Once golden brown and feeling pretty crispy, transfer to paper towel.
- Pour the sauce mixture into the pan you cooked your tofu in, making sure to stir that good flavoured oil into the mixture. Once the sauce is bubbling and has a syrup like texture, pour over your tofu and sprinkle some chopped spring onions over.
- If you've opted for the sweet chilli dip - mix honey/agave and No.1. chilli oil in a smaller dish and you're all good to go.