Reciprocity

One thing I hope to use this space for, is to explore some of the culinary traditions that have shaped my life. I grew up in a Seventh Day Adventist family, and as a 4th generation vegetarian, that culture certainly is the most important influence on my diet and lifestyle. I plan to write more about that in the future. Today, though, I made a simple dinner with food that comes from another deeply religious tradition, macrobiotics. I’m a relative newcomer to the macro style of cooking. But I love the rich complexity of flavors, and the simple elegence of this food with its strong Japanese influence.

My main side dish consisted of this Teriyaki Tofu from cybermacro. I made a couple of changes, the most significant of which was to slightly thicken the sauce for a richer presentation. Here is my version.

Teriyaki Tofu
Serves 2

1/2 pound tofu
3 Tbs mirin
2 Tbs Tamari
1 tsp fresh ginger juice
1 Tbs light sesame oil
1 Tbs minced scallion for garnish
1 tsp Kuzu or Arrowroot starch

Cut tofu crosswise into three equal slices. To remove excess moisture, wrap slices in a clean, dry kitchen towel and place on a wooden cutting board. Place a 2 to 3 pound weight on top and leave for 20 to 30 minutes.

Cut slices into 1-inch cubes. Lay cubes on a platter or baking pan. Combine mirin, soy sauce, and ginger juice, then pour mixture over tofu slices. Coat tofu on all sides and let marinate 15 to 20 minutes. Turn slices once or twice while marinating.

Heat the oil in a skillet (cast iron or other heavy-bottomed pan works best) over medium-high heat. Drain tofu in a sieve over a dish. Reserve marinade. Fry cubes on one side until lightly browned. (Browning will enhance tofu’s flavor and appearance, but be careful not to burn.) Carefully turn pieces and cook 2 to 3 minutes more. Remove tofu from pan and drain on paper towels.

Add starch to the reserved marinade and deglaze the frying pan, bringing the sauce to a gentle boil. Place tofu pieces on serving dishes. Drizzle the sauce over all. Garnish with minced scallion and serve hot.

This entry was posted on Friday, February 3rd, 2006 at 3:16 am and is filed under Kitchen Zen. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.