The story:
The story behind this dish is somewhat complicated. It didn't occur to me that I could combine two of my other dishes in this manner, but not knowing what you want for lunch and being hungry is a great motivator for innovation. The Thai cucumber salad is a somewhat recent addition to my culinary repertoire, but it has become quite the favorite. I have also worked on getting my fried tofu for a while too, and have only recently gotten the texture just right recently. Personally I feel that the salad is great fresh but its even better after having pickled for a week or so.
The recipe:
First element: Fried tofu
1/2 - 1 block of extra firm tofu
1/2 cup of bread crumbs (panko are best)
1/4 cup of vegetable oil
Drain the water in the tofu pack only about half way. You want to make sure that the tofu is moist when you bread it. Slice the block of tofu into 4-8 pieces. (think the shape and size of a Wendy's burger, square and 1/4 in. thick) Place the bread crumbs in a shallow bowl. Place the tofu slices into the bread crumbs one at a time and shake it about to completely coat the tofu. Don't put them all in at once or the bread crumbs will get clumpy. Heat the veggie oil to a medium heat in a shallow frying pan. Once the oil has reached to proper temperature gently place the tofu in the pan. Make sure not to crowd them, as it will lower the temperature and make the end product very greasy. Once the bottom is golden brown, flip the tofu. You might have to flip them a couple of times to get them to the dark golden brown that indicated the proper texture.
Second element- Thai cucumber salad
see previous posts for recipe
note: red bell pepper can be added in addition to jalapeno or in substitution for those who don't like the heat.
Third element - bread and sauce
a baguette of french bread or even hamburger rolls in a pinch
1-2 tbs of sweet baby rays BBQ sauce
Only instructions for this part is don't toast the bread. The soft chewy texture of the bread is the intended counterpoint to the crunchiness of the tofu and the cool moisture salad. Just spread the sauce on the bread, place the tofu on top of it, and then add a generous helping of the salad on top.
eat and enjoy!
The story behind this dish is somewhat complicated. It didn't occur to me that I could combine two of my other dishes in this manner, but not knowing what you want for lunch and being hungry is a great motivator for innovation. The Thai cucumber salad is a somewhat recent addition to my culinary repertoire, but it has become quite the favorite. I have also worked on getting my fried tofu for a while too, and have only recently gotten the texture just right recently. Personally I feel that the salad is great fresh but its even better after having pickled for a week or so.
The recipe:
First element: Fried tofu
1/2 - 1 block of extra firm tofu
1/2 cup of bread crumbs (panko are best)
1/4 cup of vegetable oil
Drain the water in the tofu pack only about half way. You want to make sure that the tofu is moist when you bread it. Slice the block of tofu into 4-8 pieces. (think the shape and size of a Wendy's burger, square and 1/4 in. thick) Place the bread crumbs in a shallow bowl. Place the tofu slices into the bread crumbs one at a time and shake it about to completely coat the tofu. Don't put them all in at once or the bread crumbs will get clumpy. Heat the veggie oil to a medium heat in a shallow frying pan. Once the oil has reached to proper temperature gently place the tofu in the pan. Make sure not to crowd them, as it will lower the temperature and make the end product very greasy. Once the bottom is golden brown, flip the tofu. You might have to flip them a couple of times to get them to the dark golden brown that indicated the proper texture.
Second element- Thai cucumber salad
see previous posts for recipe
note: red bell pepper can be added in addition to jalapeno or in substitution for those who don't like the heat.
Third element - bread and sauce
a baguette of french bread or even hamburger rolls in a pinch
1-2 tbs of sweet baby rays BBQ sauce
Only instructions for this part is don't toast the bread. The soft chewy texture of the bread is the intended counterpoint to the crunchiness of the tofu and the cool moisture salad. Just spread the sauce on the bread, place the tofu on top of it, and then add a generous helping of the salad on top.
eat and enjoy!
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