OT Recipe: Tofu Bourguignon - Saturday night's dinner

[Guest guest]

This recipe is totally OT - no heat in it at all and indeed no spices, but copy

if you want it.

 

It is just about a direct steal from an old (1991) cookbook by Miyoko Nishimoto

- _The

Now and Zen Epicure_. although I have adjusted some details to follow what I

did.

 

TOFU BOURGUIGNON (VEGAN)

 

(Quick to cook - but allow half an hour at least to marinate the tofu after it

has thawed.)

Serves 4-6 - I made half a recipe to serve us both extra-generously.

 

1 lb frozen tofu, thawed (freeze the tofu a week or more to acquire extra

firmness, defrost

in boiling water if you're in a rush.)

1-1/4 cups red wine

(5 Tbsp mirin - I skipped this of necessity, substituted more wine and a pinch

of sugar)

2-3 tsp miso (I used the higher measure)

5 Tbsp soy sauce (I used `lite' Tamari)

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 Tbsp red wine or balsamic vinegar (I used balsamic vinegar)

 

1/2 cup unbleached white or whole wheat pasty flour (I used ordinary wholwheat)

3 Tbsp oil

 

1 medium onion, finely chopped

6 oz. mushrooms, sliced

3/4 cup frozen peas

approx. 2/3 cup rich soy cream or milk (I used soy milk)

1-2 tsp arrowroot, kuzu, or cornstarch to thicken if necessary (I used a little

cornstarch)

 

Press thawed tofu gently between your palms to extract water without breaking

it, then cut

into pieces around 1/2 inch by 1 inch by 1-1/4 inch. Mix the wine, mirin if

used, miso,

soy sauce, garlic and balsamic vinegar together and use it as a marinade for the

tofu

pieces - at least half an hour.

 

Remove the tofu one piece at a time and squeeze lightly to remove some of the

marinade.

Don't squeeze too hard, because you want some to stay in there. If you quickly

measure

the marinade after all the tofu pieces are out and squeezed, it shoould be about

1-1/2

cups. If less, squeeze them a bit more, if more than that, then sprinkle the

extra over the

tofu.

 

Put the flour on a plate and dip the fofu in it on both sides, lightly. You will

still have flour

left over - discard. Heat a skillet (I used cast iron, but you use what you

have) over high

heat and add 2 Tbsp oil and fry the tofu on both sides until brown and crispy.

Remove it

from the pan and set aside.

 

Wipe the skillet with a paper towel and add the rest of the oil. Saute the

chopped onion

until it is translucent, then add the mushrooms and cover until the juices start

to come out

(4 or 5 mins). Pour the marinade into the pan and simmer for 10 minutes, add the

peas,

cook for two, add the soy milk and cook a minute for the flavours to blend. If

the sauce

hasn't thickened, dissolve one or two tsp cornstarch or arrowroot into a little

more

soymilk and add it a bit at a time to the sauce, stirring, until it thickens a

tiny bit. Now add

the tofu, cook another three minutes, check for seasoning and, if it has

thickened too

much (mine did), add a little more soymilk to thin out.

 

Serve immediately with flat noodles or rice.

 

Best, Pat/veggiehound