Yaki Tofu, Tofu Steaks With Sesame & Soy Dressing

If you are using shio koji, slice the tofu into four ‘steaks’. Rub the surface of the tofu with the shio koji and place in a resealable plastic bag, squeezing out any air. Refrigerate and leave to marinate for a minimum of 20 minutes or overnight. The shio koji will draw out excess moisture.

If you are using sea salt instead of shio koji, wrap the tofu in plenty of paper towels and compress under a heavy kitchen utensil for 30 minutes to remove excess water.

Slice the tofu into four ‘steaks’. Rub the surface of the tofu with the salt to season and skip the marinating step.

To make the sesame and soy dressing, combine the toasted sesame oil and vegetable oil in a saucepan over a medium heat. When it becomes hot (but not smoking), fry the almonds and garlic, stirring regularly, until pale golden in colour. Take care that they don’t burn.

Turn the heat off and transfer the almonds and garlic to a paper towel to drain off any excess oil. Add the ginger and spring onions to the oil in the pan while it is still hot and let them sizzle in the residual heat as the oil cools.

Once the oil has cooled down, stir in the soy sauce, mirin, toasted sesame seeds and goji berries. Season the oil with a little sea salt.

Wipe the tofu ‘steaks’ with paper towels (if needed) to remove any excess moisture or shio koji. Lightly coat the tofu ‘steaks’ in the katakuriko (potato starch) or cornflour. Place the vegetable oil in a frying pan/skillet over a medium heat and fry the tofu slices for 1–2 minutes on each side until crisp.

Pour the sesame and soy dressing over the tofu ‘steaks’ to serve and garnish with the fried almonds and garlic and sliced radishes. Serve with mixed leaf salad.