Freezing the tofu, then thawing and squeezing out the excess water gives tofu a chicken-like consistency and makes it absorb the marinade so much more effectively than just soaking without having frozen it first.
Below is just a sample marinade; you can really play around with any flavourings you like or other pre-packaged marinades - this is just a guideline.
ingredients:
- 45o grams (16 oz) firm or extra firm tofu
- 1/2 - 3/4 cup water
- 3 Tbsp tamari or soy sauce
- optional: 1 Tbsp nutritional yeast
- 1 large (or 2 small) cloves garlic; crushed or minced
- 1 tsp powdered ginger (or 2 tsp freshly grated)
- 1/3 - 1/2 cup whole wheat flour
- 1 1/2 Tbsp olive oil
Freeze tofu for at least one day.
Thaw tofu completely. Remove from package and squeeze out as much excess water as you can without crumbling the block.
Cut into strips, cubes or slabs - its up to you.
Combine ingredients #3 - 6 for marinade and pour into a flat pan.
Lay tofu strips in the marinade and rock the pan around to cover all the tofu.
Once most of the marinade has been absorbed (1 min), lay tofu strips on a plate
On another, larger plate, spread out the flour. Add a few dashes of sea salt for extra flavour.
Fold the strips into the flour, making sure all sides are covered.
QUICK TIP** if you cut your tofu into small cubes, the easiest thing to do is pour the flour into a small plastic bag (bread bag), place the tofu chunks inside, blow air into the bake and shake around to fully cover.
Heat the olive oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Once the oil is hot, place the strips (or slabs or cubes) in the pan. Fry on all sides until slightly crispy and browned.
Recipe by: Trudel
