Tofu with Sesame-Wasabi Glaze

Oh, yeah, it's another glazed tofu recipe. (So sue me, we like our bean curd chez nous.) This one is the conflation of a couple of long-bookmarked recipes for which I always seemed to be missing one essential ingredient. Then lo - finally a day arrived when all the stars and planets were in alignment and my cupboards gave forth the appropriate bounty (or something) to make this yummy, just-spicy-enough dish. We had it on rice with stir-fried broccoli and snow peas, but the sticky glaze would also be nice in combination with pan-fried udon noodles. Maybe next time.

And while we're on the subject of tofu, I'd like to insert a plug for the most useful kitchen gadget since the immersion blender: the Tofu X-Press. Sure, you can do it old-school by wrapping your tofu in some paper towels and piling a skillet and a crapton of canned beans on top, but it won't be pressed as well or as evenly as it will in this baby. Trust me. My only regret is that I didn't get two of them, because around here one pound of tofu is never enough.

Tofu with Sesame-Wasabi Glaze

Ingredients

~ 2 lbs. extra firm tofu, drained and pressed (pro-tip: freeze & thaw before pressing for tofu that sucks up marinade like no one's business)

~ 1/4 cup soy sauce

~ 1/4 cup rice vinegar

~ 1/4 cup agave syrup

~ 3 tbsp. toasted sesame oil

~ 2-3 tbsp. wasabi paste (more or less; suit yourself)

~ 1 tbsp. each: minced garlic, grated ginger

~ 1 tbsp. each: mustard, hot sauce

~ Oil for frying

~ 6 large scallions, sliced

~ 1 cup cold water

~ 2 tsp. corn starch

Directions

~ Slice the tofu in half horizontally, then slice into approximately 1/2-inch strips.

~ In a large, shallow dish, combine all ingredients from the soy sauce through the hot sauce.

~ Place the sliced tofu in the mixture and allow to marinate for at least 30 minutes (longer is better), turning occasionally.

~ Reserving the marinade, fry the tofu slices in a little oil until brown and crisp, then set aside in a warm oven (250 degrees) until all the slices have been cooked.

~ In the same pan, sauté the scallions for about a minute over medium-high heat, then pour in the reserved marinade. In a separate container, combine the cold water and corn starch, mix thoroughly, and add to the skillet.

~ Stir to combine, then lower the heat and let the sauce cook another ten minutes or so, until slightly thickened and reduced.

~ Add the reserved, fried tofu to the sauce, flip a few times to coat, and continue cooking another 5 minutes.

~ Serve over rice.