Tofu (the way Rob likes it) #1

This is another recipe that comes from the London Street days. Rob Laurie was already living at the house when I moved in and over the course of about five years we became friends and musical collaborators. What do you eat when hunger drives you from the studio? Tofu with basil and Smiling Fish.

I block hard tofu (600- 800g)
1 bunch spring onions
3 cloves garlic
Fresh ginger – a piece about half the size of wine bottle cork
1 sweet red pepper (not hot)
A handful of fresh mange tout (snow peas)
A handful of fresh bean shoots
Soya sauce
Sweet chilli sauce
1 bunch fresh basil
I can Smiling Fish brand fried mackerel with chilli
250-300g rice
I pinch coriander powder (optional)
A splash white wine (optional)

OK – this will feed two to three people depending on how hungry they are. For a bigger party add one or more of the yummy dishes you’ll find elsewhere in the pages!

First get the rice on. I generally find that cooked rice needs 10 minutes or so to sit to be at its best and does not mind waiting around a little longer if need be. However rice that is cooked at the last minute and served when still damp ain’t great. The rice need to be ready so that this dish can be served immediately when cooked as it doesn’t benefit from either over cooking or standing.

Jasmine rice is good with this dish but more often than not I use Basmati as it’s the one I invariably seem to have in the cupboard. For more on cooking rice, see the relevant page.

Before cooking the tofu prepare the vegetables. Finely chop the garlic, slice the spring onions lengthwise (after removing the last couple of inches), cut the pepper into reasonable sized strips, wash the mange tout, basil and bean shoots – if the latter has been in the fridge for a day or so refresh by letting them steep in cold water for fifteen minutes or so.

Now, I like to shallow fry tofu. While it can be eaten practically raw (most people who say they hate tofu have only ever had it like this in a soup or such) it takes on a whole new life when lightly fried for about 10 minutes. Olive oil (a less flavoured, cheaper pressing), with a little sesame seed oil added if you have it does the business. You can use vegetable oil but it doesn’t deliver the same light, crispy skin with the right bite. Most tofu is sold in some sort of container with water to keep the air out – and it needs to be patted dry with some kitchen paper before frying as damp tofu can stick to the pan, or, if nothing else, spits terribly.

I cut the tofu into pieces the size of small ice cubes and sit them on kitchen paper for 10 minutes of so to drain further before adding them to a non stick pan primed with oil that’s already heated to frying temperature. It’s important to let it cook long enough for a nicely browned surface to form on the underside before turning or the crisp layer may separate – check the odd piece and once browned, turn the tofu and continue frying until it is golden brown all over. Drain onto kitchen paper to remove some oil.

Prime a wok or large frying pan with a little olive oil again and get it nice and hot – almost smoking in fact. With the exception of the basil and the bean shoots add all the vegetables and stir fry for about three minutes or until the mange tout take on a vibrant green hue. Add the tofu, allow it to heat through and add the bean shoots. Stir fry for about half a minute and then shake in about the equivalent of a desert spoon of soy sauce and the same of sweet chilli sauce – the latter is available from most Chinese supermarkets in large bottles for surprisingly little. It’s often labelled as a sauce for chicken.

Give the mix a stir, then add a pinch of coriander powder and a splash of white wine if you have these ingredients to hand – they add depth to the flavour but the dish won’t be spoilt if you don’t. At this point taste the broth which should be quite thick and add a little water to taste so as to create a proper sauce – but don’t dilute the flavour too far.

Just prior to serving throw in a big handful of basil leaves and give it a final stir. Take from the heat immediately so they wilt rather than cook and dress the dish with a few lose leaves. Dress with a few extra basil leaves and serve immediately.

So what about the Smiling Fish? While I’ve often seen the brand on the shelves of Chinese supermarkets in the UK and Europe, I’ve never actually come across the fried mackerel with chilli anywhere other than in Australia. If you do find it, the open tin reveals some rather unappetising looking chunks of a firm, dark fried fish in a little oil. The fish should be shredded with a knife into a course meal and sprinkled on to the food on the plate. It adds an absolutely delicious, exotic touch that feels very authentic. I’ve experimented with alternatives and never found anything ready prepared that can substitute. The best solution I have found is a much more involved solution of grilling a little fresh mackerel with chilli, garlic and honey until it is crisp and brown. You’d think this would be even better but while excellent, it simply doesn’t have that certain something.

Oh, and you can substitute chicken for tofu in this dish very effectively – though in this case I would leave the smiling fish out of the equation as it is one taste too far

Enjoy…