No one ever said that tofu was boring. Its uses and applications abound. At the mega-mart, you can find tofu in many products from roasts and burgers to vegan cheese. In the kitchen it can be just as versatile. Depending on what preparation you purchase, tofu can be used to make sauces, milk shakes, pie fillings, or even cakes. Of course, if a savory preparation interests you, traditional Asian cuisine dictates that tofu be deep deep fried, pan fried, or mixed into various stir-fries.

For Asian dishes, the tofu of choice comes in blocks of different firmness from silken (softest) to firm (pressed). The difference in texture is due to the quantity of remaining liquid. Tofu can be pressed, removing liquid and resulting in a firmer texture. Different recipes depend on different textures of tofu.

The following recipe uses "regular" or medium tofu blocks. These blocks can be purchased at most Asian food markets, like those on Somerset St in Ottawa. They come in white tubs, surrounded by water. Please note that proper storage of medium tofu involves prompt refrigeration and regular changes of the water.

Recipe follows:

Growing up, tofu usually arrived at the dinner table steamed with scallions and soy sauce; cooked with minced pork and a spicy Sichuan sauce (ma po tofu); sliced, stuffed with a shrimp paste, floured, and deep fried; or pan fried with oil and finished with a thin oyster sauce and freshly sliced scallions (aka: green onions).

The following recipe is based on an unorthodox recipe from an episode of Alton Brown's Good Eats television series, called "Tofu World." Sorry Alton, I decided to put back the Asian flavors, but the technique remains largely the same.

Happily, this dish, with the flavor modification, has been well received at several dinner parties.


Rigged Tofu Press

Paper Towels

Pressed Tofu

Ready for Marinade

Placing into a Marinade

Marinated

Pan Fried

Recipe

Stuff you'll need:

• 1 small tub of medium tofu (approximately 9 blocks)
• 4 tbsp balsamic vinegar
• 4 tbsp soy sauce
• 4 tbsp sesame oil
• 2 eggs
• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• high smoke point oil (e.g. canola oil)

It so happens that the same method that creates firm tofu can be used to inject flavor into medium tofu. This is what the prep accomplishes. Essentially, the liquid inside the tofu is swapped with the marinade.

Prep:

1. Remove the tofu blocks from their liquid, discarding the liquid afterwards.
2. Gently rinse each block under cold "trickling" water
3. Dry by patting with paper towels. Keep that roll of paper towels handy!!!
4. Cut each block into two or three slices. Each slice should be approximately 2 cm thick.
5. Appropriate a pair of sheet pans or cookie sheets, preferably ones that fit into one another
6. Line one with paper towels
7. Place tofu into the lined pan, spacing about 2 cm apart
8. Lay paper towel on top of the tofu and lay the second pan on top
9. Weigh down the top pan with heavy cans. I find spaghetti sauce cans work best.
10. Place the makeshift tofu press into the fridge and let the tofu flatten for an hour
11. Meanwhile, combine the vinegar, soy sauce, and sesame oil together in a flat bottomed container that can accommodate a single layer of tofu. I had to split the marinade between two square Tupperware containers
12. Place the pressed tofu into the marinade.
13. Again, place the container or containers back into the fridge.
14. Marinate for 15 minutes on each side.
15. Place the flour in a shallow dish
16. Beat the eggs and place in another shallow dish

Method:

1. Take a skillet with high walls and place a cm of oil into it.
2. Place skillet on a large burner and heat the oil on medium
3. Remove the tofu slices from the marinade and drain on paper towels
4. Lightly dredge the tofu in flour, knocking off any excess
5. Coat each slice of tofu in eggs on both sides
6. Slide tofu into the hot oil and fry on each side until gold brown (approximately 2 minutes per side). Flip using chopsticks or tongs.
7. Remove to a cooling rack over newspaper.
8. Serve hot.

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