Ingredients
- 1 block of firm tofu
- 1 cup vegetable stock
- 1 TB soy sauce
- 1–2 TB garlic, grated on a microplane grater
- 2 TB ginger, grated on a microplane grater
- 1/2 cup boiling water
- 1 TB sugar
- 1/4 cup vinegar
- dash of salt
- olive oil
- hot chili oil
- chopped scallions
Instructions
- Slice the tofu any way you like.
- Brush the bottom of a glass pyrex dish with olive oil and place the tofu in the dish. Place in the freezer overnight.
- To defrost the tofu, place it in the oven at the lowest setting for 15-20 minutes. Remove it from the oven and press it thoroughly for an hour, ensuring that it is almost bone-dry before placing it into the marinade, which you can make by whisking together the broth, soy sauce, garlic and ginger.
- You can skip freezing/defrosting the tofu for this recipe, but thorough pressing is a must. Freezing/defrosting transforms the texture of the tofu by making it more “meaty” and dense. Marinate for at least 4 hours.
- When you are ready to make the tofu, dissolve the sugar in the boiling water, then add the vinegar and dash of salt. Set aside.
- Saute the tofu for about 5 minutes on each side over medium-high heat, or until a good sear is achieved.
- To plate the tofu, pour some of the vinegar mixture into a shallow bowl.
- Arrange the tofu on top of that, sprinkling with the chopped scallions. Finish by adding several droplets of the chili oil. Serve immediately.