Recipes
Five-spice smoked tofu nuggets
Tofu has never been my favourite ingredient to be honest but these brilliant smoked tofu 'nuggets' from my friend Elly Curshen's book Let's Eat are positively addictive.
Elly writes: These things are ridiculously delicious and I can't recommend them enough. They're great on the end of skewers and dipped into the satay sauce as party food. But if you don't want to serve this as a canapé the cubes of tofu are delicious on a bed of brown rice with some pok choy and the sauce drizzled over the top. (I actually served it with a crunchy vegetable salad based on the noodle salad in Elly's book. I'm not giving the recipe for that so you have to buy it!)
The tofu you choose is important. You want to look for one that comes as a big, solid, wet cube and nearly always in a cardboard box. The recipe requires this soft, wet kind to create the steam inside the crust that makes it puff up.
Make the dressing first so the nuggets stay nice and crisp.
Note: this recipe contains peanuts
Five-spice smoked tofu nuggets
Vegetarian, vegan.
Makes 8 (although I cut them slightly smaller to make 16. That might serve 4 at a pinch though don't bank on it)
1 x 225g box of smoked tofu
2 tbsp cornflour
¼ tsp Chinese five-spice powder
a large pinch of smoked paprika
300ml vegetable oil
2–4 tbsp Satay Dressing (see below)
flaked sea salt
Lay the block of tofu on a few sheets of kitchen paper. Fold another sheet of kitchen paper and use to press down gently on the top to absorb the moisture.
Cut the tofu up into 8 (or 16) equal-sized cubes. Put the cornflour in a shallow bowl, add the five-spice powder and paprika and mix well. Toss the tofu cubes in the spiced cornflour until they are dusted on all sides.
Pour the vegetable oil into a wok and place over a high heat. Once hot, shake off any excess flour then very carefully lower each nugget into the hot oil using a slotted spoon or tongs. Deep-fry, turning regularly (and very carefully), for 4–5 minutes until all sides are golden brown and crisp. Remove the tofu from the pan using a slotted spoon or tongs and drain on kitchen paper.
Sprinkle the cubes with flaked sea salt while they are still hot – this helps to keep them crispy. Put them on to skewers and serve with the dressing for dipping.
Satay dressing
Makes 6 portions
1 tsp light soft brown sugar
2 tsp lime juice
4 tbsp peanut butter (smooth or chunky is fine, and I actually find the cheaper, bog-standard versions work best)
3 tbsp rice wine vinegar
1 tbsp soy sauce
1¼ tbsp vegetable, sunflower or rapeseed oil
1¼ tbsp Sriracha (or more to taste)
2 tbsp sesame oil
Dissolve the sugar in the lime juice, then put it into a blender with all the remaining ingredients and blend until smooth. Taste and adjust as you see fit. That’s it. Once made, it will keep fine in the fridge in a jar for ages.
What to drink
The sauce is more important than the nuggets when it comes to finding a pairing. Winewise I'm thinking an off-dry riesling or young semillon. A medium-dry cider would also be good.
Elly Pear's Let's Eat is published by Harper Collins at £20.You might also like to try Elly's Smoked Salmon and Radish Salad from her first book, Fast Days and Feast Days.
Pea, parsley & cheddar dip with pumpkin seed crackers
A recipe from a charming and inventive cookbook this week - blogger Rejina Sabur-Cross's Gastrogeek. I've picked it because I love dips - who doesn't? - but also because of the amazing-looking crackers.
Regina writes: "This is one of my all time favourite dips, and the crackers are insanely easy to make – in fact every time I’m in the supermarket and I see those expensive packets of gourmet crackers, I always remember just what a piece of cake it is to bake these and make a beeline straight for the flour section instead. Perfect for snacking on in front of the telly or passing round with drinks.
Serves 4
For the dip
1 garlic clove
1 teaspoon salt
150g frozen petits pois, defrosted
2 tablespoons soured cream
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
1‑2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley
70g mature Cheddar cheese, grated
25g toasted pine nuts
1 tablespoon chives, finely chopped
1 teaspoon garlic powder
freshly ground black pepper
Crush the garlic clove with 1 teaspoon of salt to form a paste. Transfer to a bowl and add the remaining dip ingredients. Blitz together using a hand-held electric blender and place in the fridge to chill.
For the crackers
50g plain or spelt flour, plus extra for dusting
50g wholemeal or rye flour
5 teaspoons of seeds of your choice
3 tablespoons grated Parmesan or other hard cheese, for sprinkling
pinch of salt
In a bowl, mix the flours with about 6 tablespoons of water to form a supple dough. Turn a roasting tin or baking sheet upside down, dust it with flour and roll the dough out to cover the tin. It should be nice and thin - don’t worry if it doesn’t look perfect.
Preheat the oven to 180˚C/gas mark 4. Sprinkle the dough with a little water and from a slight height (to ensure even distribution) sprinkle over the seeds, cheese and a pinch of salt. Pop the inverted tin in the oven and bake for 15‑20 minutes or until golden and crisp.
Remove and slide a spatula under to loosen the cracker before breaking up into big bite-size shards.
Serve the hot crackers with the cold dip. Any leftover crackers will keep in an airtight container for a few days.
What to drink: I'd probably go for a Sauvignon Blanc or Semillon with this but you could drink an Italian white like a Vermentino, a rosé or even a glass of sparkling wine like a Cava.
Gastrogeek by Rejina Sabur-Cross is published by Kyle Books, priced £15.99. Photography: Chris Terry
Potato and lemon frittata with watercress & almond salad
An unusual and fresh-tasting frittata that would make a perfect brunch dish from Ryn and Cordie's In Search of the Perfect Partner (The Food and Wine Matching Formula) reviewed here.
SERVES 4
INGREDIENTS
3 baby potatoes
Oil or butter for greasing the dish
200g firm ricotta
4 large free range eggs
50ml cream
1 tsp cumin
1.5 lemons, zested & juiced (keep separate)
1/4 bunch chives, chopped
Salt & pepper
1 large bunch watercress
1 small red onion, sliced into rings
30ml extra virgin olive oil
80g flaked almonds, toasted
METHOD
1. Cook the potatoes in boiling water until tender. When cooled slightly, dice into 1cm cubes.
2. Preheat the oven to 180°C.
3. Grease a 25cm pie dish with oil or butter. Place the potatoes in the dish, and crumble the ricotta over the top.
4. Whisk the eggs and cream together, then add cumin, lemon zest and three quarters of the lemon juice (set aside the remaining lemon juice), chives, pepper and salt.
5. Pour this egg mix over the potatoes and ricotta. Bake the frittata for 20-25 minutes or until the egg has set. Set aside to cool slightly.
6. In a bowl, toss the watercress and sliced onion, and drizzle with the olive oil and some lemon juice. Season to taste.
TO SERVE: Plate a wedge of frittata next to a generous portion of salad and sprinkle with the almonds.
MATCH! The freshness and zestiness of a young Semillon makes a fabulous fusion with this frittata. Find one from the Hunter Valley and dig in!
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