I first came across this tofu technique last year when I was preparing the entirely vegetarian menu for my friend Anna’s baby shower. I decided to revisit it after Anna and I meandered into a conversation about why the ensuing baby had no interest in eating tofu. "Well, would you?" We reasoned. His tofu lacked flavor and, though this was characteristic of most of his food at the time, texture. Tofu serves best as a conduit for liquid flavor. A marinade or a sauce is almost always essential for really enjoying tofu in a dish. But, I contend that even with the flavor box checked, checking the texture box remains key to really rounding out the experience. One method (and a delicious one at that) is to dust the tofu with cornstarch and either deep or pan fry it. But many of us don’t want to eat fried food everyday, so it’s nice to have another option.
That option is this baked tofu preparation. Pressing out most of the water from a brick of firm tofu before marinading it allows for better absorption of the marinade, not to mention a chewier texture in the end after it is sliced thin and baked in a hot oven.
The process is straightforward and requires minimal hands-on time. First, unwrap a block of firm tofu and place it on a dinner plate. Place another dinner plate on top of the tofu and something heavy (I like to use the lid from my cast iron dutch oven) on top of the that. Walk away for about an hour.
Upon returning, there will be a pool of liquid surrounding the tofu on the bottom plate. Dump this liquid. Place the tofu on a cutting board and slice thinly. The more thinly it is sliced, the more chewy the final texture of the tofu will be. I like to aim for about 1/8” slices if possible. Place the sliced tofu in a small bowl or dish.
Prepare a marinade, enough to cover the tofu in the dish (To save time, this can also be done while the tofu is being pressed). I’ve tried several, including a ginger and black garlic version, and a blood orange version (pictured). A basic option includes soy sauce, sesame oil, rice wine vinegar, and brown sugar. Adjust the proportions to taste. I like to include a little bit of sugar or agave in the marinade because it caramelizes nicely in the oven and adds another layer of texture and flavor to the tofu, but it’s certainly not critical to the preparation. Pour the marinade over the tofu, making sure that both sides of each slice are in contact with the marinade. Walk away for about 30 minutes.
Upon returning, preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Lightly grease a baking sheet and place the individual slices of the tofu on the sheet. Bake the tofu for about 20 minutes, or until it looks dry and the edges start to brown a bit.
Eat the tofu! It is excellent with lots of fresh, crisp vegetables and herbs, wrapped in a spring roll or on a soft sandwich roll. The chewiest, crispest pieces are even great on their own. Experiment a little. And enjoy tofu with texture.
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