Serious Eats - seriouseats.com

Eat for Eight Bucks: Sesame Scallion Tofu

Posted by Robin Bellinger, November 3, 2009 at 2:00 PM

[Photograph: Robin Bellinger]

Mark Bittman calls this dish "Tofu Burgers, Asian-style," but since I can't really imagine eating these sesame scallion tofu patties on a bun I have re-christened them. Tofu is usually not greeted warmly at my house, and while I can't say I've received requests for a repeat of this meal, it was at least acknowledged to be better than plain old sautéed bean curd. Me, I thought it was quite yummy, especially over white rice with extra soy sauce.

Even my tofu skeptics could not resist the seaweed-laced slaw, which was deemed excellent by all. I bought my arame in bulk and can't say how much more expensive an entire bag would have been, but if you end up with a bunch of extra seaweed and don't want to make these dishes again, Bittman says you can simply toss it into other salads—even without soaking, if you have time to let it sit and absorb some dressing. I didn't have any cilantro but wished I had. Don't skip it unless you have to.

Sesame Scallion Tofu Patties

-serves 4

Adapted from How to Cook Everything Vegetarian

Ingredients

2 tablespoons arame or other dark sea green, such as kombu or wakame
1/2 bunch scallions, trimmed
12 ounces firm tofu, patted dry
2 tablespoons panko or fresh bread crumbs
2 tablespoons sesame seeds
2 teaspoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon dark sesame oil
Salt and pepper
2 tablespoons peanut oil or neutral oil

Procedure

1. Pour boiling water over the arame and soak for a minute or two. Drain well.

2. Put the scallions in a food processor and pulse a few times, until minced. Transfer to a large mixing bowl. Put about half the tofu and all the arame in the processor (no need to wash it out) and pulse a couple of times, until crumbled. Add to the mixing bowl.

3. Put the remaining tofu in the processor and let it run until the tofu is smooth. Add it to the mixing bowl, along with the panko, sesame seeds, soy sauce, and sesame oil. Sprinkle with a little salt and lots of pepper and stir well to combine. Form into 4 patties, and let rest if you have time. (You can make the mixture and even shape the patties up to a day or so in advance. Just cover rightly and refrigerate, then bring everything back to room temperature before cooking.)

4. Heat the oil in a large nonstick or well-seasoned cast-iron skillet over a medium flame. (I found that a nonstick skillet worked much better than cast-iron.) When hot, slip the patties into the pan. Cook, undisturbed, until they turn golden and release easily, about 5 minutes. Flip carefully and cook until done, another 3 to 4 minutes.

5. Bittman says you can use this like ground "meat," too: Just prepare the mix without forming into patties and then cook in heated oil in a large, deep skillet. Resist the urge to stir until it's crisp and brown; then stir and break the pieces apart and continue to cook until it's as done as you like. I have not tried it yet, but think this would be delicious over Asian noodles or mixed into fried rice.

Sea Slaw

-serves 4
Adapted from How to Cook Everything Vegetarian

Ingredients

1/4 cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons rice vinegar (I used white wine vinegar, and it was okay)
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon sugar
1/4 instant wakame or other dried seaweed (I used arame, soaked and drained as for the scallion tofu)
2 cups chopped cabbage (I used 1/2 head Savoy, shredded in food processor)
1 carrot, shredded
1 cup fresh cilantro leaves
Salt and pepper

Procedure

Whisk the mayonnaise, vinegar, soy sauce, and peanuts together in a large bowl. Add the seaweed, cabbage, and carrot and toss to coat. If possible, refrigerate for an hour or so before serving (or cover and refrigerate for up to 24 hours). To serve, add the cilantro, salt, and pepper and toss again.

7 Comments Favorite this!  (6)

Tags: Eat for Eight Bucks, seaweed, slaws, tofu, vegetarian