Ginger and Soy Baked Tofu

A relatively simply dish of marinated baked tofu; I wrap the tofu in foil to retain the moisture but you could just lay the tofu out on a baking sheet. The only 'unusual' ingredient in this is the mirin, which is a type of rice wine easily found in any Asian supermarket. However, you could substitute for it with a dry white wine or leave it out entirely.

I rarely eat tofu, despite really enjoying it, because it is such a pain to prepare properly i.e. pressing it and dry frying it. However, you could probably skip the pressing of the tofu and dry frying in this recipe if you're short on time, and I expect it would turn out fine, although you would need to be careful not to break the tofu when stirring the marinade in.

Serves 2

Ingredients:
400g block firm tofu
1 tbsp fresh ginger, grated
5 cloves garlic, crushed
1 spring onion, sliced
3 tbsp honey
1 tbsp mirin
3 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp sesame oil

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 180 degrees C/350 degrees F/Gas Mark 4

1. Drain and press tofu to get as much water out as possible - the longer you can press the tofu the better. Chop into 1 inch cubes and dry fry in a non-stick pan until browned. Remove from the heat and place in a dish to one side.

2. In a small saucepan, fry garlic, ginger and spring onions in vegetable oil on medium heat until browned.

3. Add the sesame oil, honey, mirin, and soy sauce; turn up the heat and let boil for 1 minute, stirring regularly. Turn the heat down and let simmer for a couple of minutes.

4. Pour marinade over the tofu and stir carefully to coat; if possible leave to soak in for at least an hour or overnight. Transfer to a foil lined baking dish and wrap the foil over the top. Bake for 35 minutes or so until cooked through. Serve with rice, drizzling over any left over sauce on top.