Silky tofu with crispy chilli oil
Silken tofu has a fine, wobbly texture that all-but melts in the mouth… It’s quite a sensation! I first tasted this dish a decade ago on stage with Victor Liong, who’d been developing a burnt butter sauce version reminiscent of a scallop dish he’d learnt to make under the tutelage of chef Mark Best. Victor now brings this unique blend of East and West to his restaurant Lee Ho Fook, which is very worth a visit when you’re in Melbourne… But I digress! This is a far more pared back way of serving it, utilising condiments that you should definitely have in your pantry: soy sauce, black vinegar, and chilli crisp oil! Try to seek out an organic, non-GMO silken tofu if you can, and choose either a silken tofu block or cylinder, as both will work for this dish. To dismount the entire block onto your plate, slip off the lid, cut around the edges, drain off from a corner (there shouldn’t be much liquid to drain) and then gently invert onto your serving plate.
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Ingredients
- 1 small-medium block of silken tofu organic if possible
- 3 tbsp light soy sauce
- 1 heaped tbsp chilli crisp oil
- 1 tsp finely grated ginger
- 1 tsp finely grated garlic
- 2 spring onions thinly sliced greens reserved for garnish
- ½ tsp brown sugar
- 1 tsp black vinegar or rice wine vinegar
- 2 tbsp roasted peanuts roughly chopped
Instructions
- In a small frying pan, combine the soy sauce along with 1 tbsp water, chilli crisp, ginger, garlic, spring onion whites, sugar and black vinegar, then simmer for a minute until the sauce has thickened slightly. Switch off the heat. Taste and adjust with some more sugar if needed.
- Meanwhile, gently cut your tofu into 1cm-thick slices and then fan out across the serving platter. Pour over the warm chilli sauce and then top with reserved spring onion greens and chopped peanuts.
- This is delish as is for a starter, or over rice or noodles for a vegan-friendly main.
