Joe Yonan
THE WASHINGTON POST – Do you ever make a dish just for the sauce? What’s enrobed in it is almost beside the point – ideally, it’s so good you mutter something about being willing to eat it on a shoe.
Not that I would ever equate tofu with a shoe – far from it. And in this recipe from Jean-Philippe Cyr, the tofu brings its own positive qualities to the plate: nutritious protein, of course, but also a firm exterior and creamy interior from baking. Before it goes in the oven, you coat it in a combination of cornstarch, nutritional yeast and dried herbs, creating a flavourful shell. But the magic is in the sauce, a sweet-tart concoction made of maple syrup and two types of mustard.
Eat this with something that’ll soak up that sauce. I could imagine polenta, grains or even bread, but to me the most obvious choice is the best: mashed potatoes, as chunky or smooth as you like.
MAPLE MUSTARD TOFU
Active time: 20 minutes | Total time: 35 minutes
Four servings
Storage Notes: Refrigerate for up to five days. Freezing is not recommended.
INGREDIENTS
For the tofu
– Quarter cup cornstarch
– Two tablespoons nutritional yeast
– One teaspoon dried sage
– One teaspoon herbes de Provence
– Half teaspoon fine salt
– One (14- to 16-ounce) block firm tofu, drained and cut into half-inch cubes
– One tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
For the sauce
– One tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
– Two large shallots, chopped (quarter cup; may substitute red or yellow onion)
– Three tablespoons (juice from peaches, apricots, or pears)
– Half cup low-sodium vegetable broth
– Two tablespoons maple syrup
– Two tablespoons nutritional yeast
– Two tablespoons whole-grain mustard
– One tablespoon Dijon mustard
– Quarter teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
DIRECTIONS
Make the tofu: Position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 375 degrees.
Line a large, rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
In a large bowl, whisk together the cornstarch, nutritional yeast, sage, herbes de Provence and salt.
Add the tofu cubes, drizzle with the oil, and toss to thoroughly coat. Spread the tofu on the baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes, flipping the tofu halfway through, until it is lightly browned.
Make the sauce: While the tofu is roasting, in a saucepan over medium heat, heat the oil until it shimmers. Add the shallots and cook, stirring frequently, until translucent, about three minutes.
Increase the heat to high, add the juices, and cook until it reduces by half, one to two minutes.
Add the broth, maple syrup, nutritional yeast, whole-grain and Dijon mustards and pepper, stir to combine and reduce the heat to medium-high.
Cook, stirring occasionally, until the mixture is slightly thickened and the flavours have melded, about five minutes.
Add the tofu to the sauce and stir to coat. Remove from the heat and divide among the bowls; serve hot.
