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Sesame Tofu

 

I finally mastered the art of torn tofu!

  

I'm excited about this because I feel like I've unlocked two important skills. One is the crispy torn tofu that I've been seeing videos about. The other is the idea of pre-mixing sauce ingredients, pre-crisping my tofu, and then when we're ready to eat, it's just a matter of dumping the sauce into a hot wok, adding the tofu a minute later, and tossing it to coat the tofu. I love this takeout-style sesame sauce, but I'll be trying this with other sauces as well.

The Recipe:
Tofu:
2 blocks tofu
1 tsp salt
3 tb cornstarch

  • Tear tofu into irregular chunks
  • Wrap chunks in a kitchen towel and place in the fridge (in a bowl) for at least 1 hour to drain 
  • Toss with salt and cornstarch
  • Spread on baking sheets
  • Bake at 425 for about 30 minutes, flipping partway through

Sauce: (adapted from Kitchen Sanctuary):
1 tb sesame oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tb Chinese rice wine
2 tb honey
1 tb sambal oelek
3 tb ketchip
2 tb brown sugar
4 tb soy sauce

Other: 
White sugar, to taste
Toasted sesame seeds, to taste 

  • Mix sauce ingredients
  • Heat a wok over medium-high heat with 1 tb avocado oil
  • Add sauce and stir for 30 seconds
  • Toss in cooked tofu, toss to combine
  • Add extra sugar to taste 
  • Top with sesame seeds 

  The Verdict:
Overall grade: A-
Overall reason: Easy, love the technique, but this sauce has SO MUCH SUGAR
Time to prepare: 35 minutes including baking the tofu, but it's quite hands off. (Also allot the 1+ hour to drain the tofu.)
Husband quote: He hasn't tasted it yet, but I would bet money that he will say "IT TASTES LIKE TAKEOUT" because any time I make very sugary sauces, he says they taste like restaurant food.

 


  

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