Crispy Tofu w Caper & Dill Cream Sauce

Phoebe Thorburn -

This is a non-dairy version of the savoury cream sauce usually paired with fish or chicken. It works seamlessly in this application paired with tofu & is a delightfully neat recipe - which minimises leftover ingredients and dirty dishes. It might not look that glamorous, but trust me in that it tastes dinner-table slappin’ good. A nostalgic weeknight gem of a recipe, that will be gobbled up in a flash.

Ingredients

Crunchy Tofu

  • 1 x 450g block very firm tofu
  • zest of 1 lemon, finely chopped
  • ¼ tsp garlic powder
  • 2 tbsp cornflour/cornstarch
  • salt & pepper
  • lightly flavoured vegetable oil

Caper & Dill Cream Sauce

  • 1 red/brown onion, diced small
  • 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
  • splash (1 tbsp) white wine
  • 1 cup unsweetened soy/oat milk
  • 2 tbsp coconut milk
  • ¼ vegetable/“chicken” stock cube (or ½ tsp powder)
  • 2 tbsp capers, roughly chopped
  • small handful fresh dill, finely chopped (or 2 tsp dried)
  • the leftover cornflour mix
  • salt & pepper
  • juice 1 lemon

To Serve: basmati rice, green beans or asparagus

Method

  1. Prepare your tofu by draining it, slicing it into ½-1cm thick slices, then pressing these firmly between a clean tea-towel to squeeze out excess liquid.
  2. In a shallow bowl, whisk together the remaining Crunchy Tofu ingredients (sans the oil). Gently coat all the tofu slices in the cornflour mix. Do not discard the remaining cornflour mix (we need it for the sauce).
  3. Heat a generous glug of lightly flavoured vegetable oil in a non-stick fry-pan and once hot, add the tofu slices. Crispy up for a couple of minutes on both sides, until lightly golden brown. Set the tofu aside on a clean tea-towel lined plate (you can pop them in a low oven to keep warm if you like, but not essential).
  4. To the same (but tofu-free) pan, add the onion and garlic. Sauté over low heat until soft & fragrant. Add the splash of white wine and stir to pick up the flavour from the bottom of the pan. Now add the plant milk, coconut milk, stock, capers and dill. Stir to combine, then bring to a gentle bubble.
  5. Meanwhile add a little splash of water to the leftover cornflour mix (you coated the tofu in), whisking to form a slurry. Add this to the sauce and stir constantly while it thickens into a luscious creamy sauce. Season with salt & pepper, and the lemon juice.
  6. Serve the sauce over the crunchy tofu, which I like to have over rice and with a side of green beans or asparagus. But you, do, you.