Tofu is never boring in our household. For this dish, I’ve combined the flavors of zesty orange and zingy ginger in a marinade and sticky glaze to make the tofu the hero of this dish. Tofu is so versatile and allows for creativity in the kitchen. With a few simple steps, you can easily make tofu taste amazing
Ingredients
For the tofu
- 1 400g block of tofu
- olive oil, for frying
- 3 tbsp cornstarch
Orange and ginger marinade
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 3 cloves garlic, sliced
- 1/2 cup fresh orange juice roughly one medium orange
- 1/4 cup maple syrup
- 1/4 cup tamari
- 1 tsp liquid smoke
- 1 1-inch piece fresh ginger, finely grated
- 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
Instructions
- Press your tofu block for at least 30 minutes. This step is optional, but the tofu takes on the flavors of the marinade better when it’s pressed
- In the meantime, prepare your marinade: In a small saucepan, heat your olive oil over low heat. Add the garlic slices. Heat them for 5 minutes, stirring frequently to ensure the garlic does not turn brown. Remove the pan from the heat and set it aside
- In a large bowl, add the orange juice, maple syrup, tamari, liquid smoke, ginger and black pepper. Strain the garlic oil through a sieve to remove the garlic pieces. Discard the garlic and add the garlic oil to the marinade. Stir to combine
- Use a sharp knife to cut diagonal lines across the top and bottom of your pressed tofu, about 1⁄4inch (6 mm) deep. Place the tofu in a small container and add your marinade so that it covers the tofu. Place it in the fridge to marinate for 30 minutes
- Preheat your oven to 390°F (200°C). Heat a large, nonstick skillet over medium heat with a generous dash of olive oil. Remove your tofu from the marinade and allow for any excess to drip off the tofu block
- Sprinkle the cornstarch onto a shallow plate and place the tofu block on top, thinly coating the top and bottom. Transfer the tofu block to the frying plan and fry both sides of the tofu for 2 to 3 minutes each, until crispy and golden. Place it into an ovenproof dish
- Whisk about 2 teaspoons (5 g) of the cornstarch into the remainder of the marinade and pour about half of the marinade over the tofu. Roast for 10 minutes, then carefully pour the rest of the marinade over the top and roast for 10 minutes
- Remove the tofu from the ovenproof dish and place it onto a serving plate. Cut it into 1⁄2-inch(1-cm) slices and serve as part of your roast meal. Try this with green beans, a parsnip mash and some delicious miso onion gravy