Crispy Tofu with Ginger and…Whatever

I’m beginning to think that my kids are never going to warm up to tofu. Though I guess I can’t blame them considering that I never served it until relatively recently…and also because I never really ate it myself, unless a little silky white cube in my miso soup accidentally slipped onto my spoon. In the last few years, though, we’ve developed a tasty, if decidedly Asian-leaning little repertoire — the miso-butter tofu, the sweet and sour tofu — and now, thanks to Melissa Clark’s new book DINNER, this crispy tofu with ginger you are looking at above. (In last week’s Times round-up, I wrote extensively about how excellent the book is so please head over there if you want more details.) Anyway, I’m typing this at 10:00 am on a Tuesday morning and I swear I could eat every last bite of that tofu right this second. It’s unthinkable to me that someone can sit down at a dinner table, look at the glistening golden cubes tossed with whatever is fresh, and not want to do the same.

{Note to parents of younger kids: Start the tofu indoctrination as early as you can.}

About that “toss with whatever fresh” part. That’s not exactly in the recipe. Technically the book calls for the tofu to be dredged in corn starch, fried in grapeseed oil, removed, then added back with a bunch of aromatics, a molasses-soy sauce mixture and a handful of swiss chard or bok choy. The problem is, every time I’ve craved this recipe, there hasn’t been any chard or bok choy in my house. (That will change, of course, once my garden explodes.) Usually, though, there is kale. Or spinach. Last week there were haricots verts. So I used those. It’s what I love about this cookbook. Clark gives you the inspiration, and you can follow her instructions to a T if you’d like and the result will be perfect. But even if you let her recipes give you just a basic framework, you’ll end up learning a new technique or rethinking what qualifies as dinner or finally dipping into the the tub of doenjung (Korean fermented soybean paste) you bought (beer-goggled) at H Mart over the winter. Of all the books I tested this spring, Clark’s was the one that edged its way into the easy-to-reach corner of the cookbook shelf. I’ve had success with her Mexican Tortilla Soup, Pizza with Broccoli Rabe, Ricotta & Olives, Halloumi and Brussels Sprouts, Korean-style Stir-fried Beef, Pasta with Anchovies and Breadcrumbs….I can just tell the book is gonna get a lot of play. And so will this recipe. As soon as my kids head to sleep away camp.

Crispy Tofu with Ginger and Spicy Greens
From Dinner: Changing the Game, by Melissa Clark (reprinted with permission)
Serves 2 or 3; Time: 35 minutes
Note that this serves 2 or 3, which works for our family of tofu-thropes, but probably not for you. Serve with brown rice and extra vegetables to stretch out. Also, I’ve replaced the chiles with red pepper flakes, and the sun still rose in the morning.

Grapeseed or safflower oil, as needed
1 package (14 to 16 ounces) firm tofu, drained, patted dry, and cut into 1-inch cubes
¼ cup cornstarch
Fine sea salt to taste
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
6 small shallots, thinly sliced
6 garlic cloves, grated on a Microplane or minced
1½ tablespoons finely chopped peeled fresh ginger
1 green serrano chile, seeded and thinly sliced
1 fresh hot red chile, seeded and thinly sliced
3 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons molasses
2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
1 pound bok choy or Swiss chard, stems and leaves separated and thinly sliced
8 small scallions (white and green parts), cut into 1¼-inch lengths

1. Heat ¼ inch of grapeseed oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat. In a bowl, toss the tofu with the cornstarch until well coated. Fry the tofu in the hot oil until it is browned and crisped, about 5 minutes. Transfer the tofu to a paper-towel-lined plate to drain. Sprinkle with salt to taste.
2. Pour off the oil from the skillet and return the skillet to medium heat. Add the butter, and when it has melted, add the shallots, garlic, ginger, and chiles. Cook, stirring frequently, until soft, about 10 minutes.
3. While the shallots are cooking, whisk the soy sauce, molasses, and black pepper together in a small bowl.
4. Stir the soy sauce mixture into the skillet, along with the sliced bok choy stems and the scallions. Cook until the stems are almost tender, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the bok choy leaves and stir until they are just wilted. Then stir in the tofu, and serve hot.