crispy silken tofu in creamy roasted garlic and lemon sauce

I need a vegan dish to serve alongside a chicken dish, for a mixed group of herbivores and omnivores.

I want the sauces to be at least similar, if not the same, so that both dishes will pair well with the same sides and adhere to the overall flavor profile that I have in mind for the meal.

Somehow the Japanese dish, Agedashi Tofu, popped into my head.

I’m a big fan of agedashi tofu because I love silken tofu. It’s so … silky! And I love crispy, fried food. It’s so … crispy! Something that’s crunchy on the outside and melt-in-your-mouth tender on the inside is just heaven to me.

Why not prepare silken tofu in the same way I’d do for this beautiful Japanese dish, but serve it with a completely different sauce, something that’s European?

Lemon and Garlic Roasted Chicken is a fabulous dish. Fabulous because, not only is it delicious, and not only is it quick and easy to prepare, but the creamy, garlicky, lemony sauce drizzled over the golden roasted bird makes a presentation that’s elegant enough for a special occasion.

Here’s the challenge… Roasting chicken leaves one with the basis for a gravy. Frying tofu does not.

I’m going to have to find another base from which to create a creamy sauce.

After playing around a bit, I came up with this idea. It sounded good in my head, so I made it. It also tasted good in my mouth. So now, I will share it with you. Crispy silken tofu in a Creamy Sauce of Roasted Garlic and Lemon.

Working with silken tofu is tricky. It desperately wants to fall apart. Your job, as chef, is to convince it not to do so. It needs to be handled very carefully when dusting it with the starch and getting it into the hot oil. Once fried, it’s a bit sturdier.

But it’s so worth the trouble. I think the texture is ethereal.

One thing that will help is having the proper spatula. This one has served me well for over 20 years. It’s definitely worth the investment.

Still, if it seems like more than you want to deal with, just use a firmer tofu. The tofu police will not come to your door. I promise.

Ingredients:

• 1 block silken tofu

• Potato starch for dredging

• Oil for frying

• 1 large head of garlic

• 1 lemon

• 4 tablespoons olive oil

• ½ small onion, finely chopped

• 4 tablespoons all-purpose flour

• 2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons no-chicken broth powder (if you use a different brand, use the amount indicated for 2 cups of water.)

• 1 sprig fresh rosemary

• 1 sprig fresh thyme

• 1 bay leaf

• a small bunch of flat leaf parsley

Method:

• Preheat the oven to 375°.

• Without removing the papery outer skin of the garlic head, use a sharp knife to slice off the top of the head, revealing the white tips of the cloves within. Set the head of garlic on a piece of aluminum foil. Drizzle the cut cloves with a bit of olive oil and then fold the foil over to completely enclose the garlic. You want the foil pouch to be sealed tightly, but be loose around the garlic.

• Wash the lemon. Using a metal skewer or a big fork, poke 20 holes in the lemon, all around, then rub it with a bit of olive oil. Place the garlic packet and the lemon on a baking sheet and slide the pan into the oven. Roast the garlic and the lemon for 1 hour.

You can do this in advance

• Prepare the sauce:

• In a medium saucepan, heat the oil. Sauté the onion over medium/low heat until it begins to turn golden.

• Add the flour and cook, stirring, for a minute or two, so that your sauce doesn’t taste like raw flour.

• Add the broth powder. Slowly pour in 2 cups of water, stirring all the while. Add the bay leaf and the herbs, retaining some of the parsley to use as a garnish. Continue to cook the sauce, stirring, until it comes to a boil. Then lower the heat and keep the sauce at a gentle simmer for 10 minutes.

• When they’re cool enough to handle, squeeze the soft, roasted cloves of garlic out of their shells and into the sauce.

• Add the juice of the lemon, making sure to separate out the pits.

• Simmer for another 10 minutes.

• Remove the herbs and the bay leaf from the pot. Purée the sauce, using either an immersion blender or a food processor. Taste for salt and pepper and adjust as needed.

• Remove the pot from the heat and keep it covered to keep it warm.

• Prepare the tofu:

• Cut the tofu into 6 blocks, or into 1 ½ inch cubes. Either works; it just depend upon whether you want to serve slices or cubes. Dust them on all sides with potato starch.

• The easiest way to fry the tofu is with a deep fryer. If you don’t have one, Pour oil into a skillet to a depth of 2 inches. You want the oil to be deep enough so that the sides of the tofu will get fried, as well as the tops and bottoms.

• Heat the oil to 325°. If you don’t have a candy thermometer (which is a really handy thing to have), do the chopstick test: hold a wooden chopstick in the oil. When bubbles form around the chopstick, the oil is ready.

• Using a thin but firm spatula, lower the tofu pieces into the oil. Allow them to sit undisturbed for three minutes. Don’t try to move them during this time or the crispy crust won’t form.

• After three minutes, use the spatula to carefully lift up one piece to check the color. If it’s golden, carefully turn the tofu pieces over. If not, let them fry for another minute before turning.

• When the tofu is fried on all sides, carefully lift them from the pan with the spatula and set them on paper towels to drain.

• To serve, pour the hot sauce onto a serving plate with a lip and arrange the tofu over the sauce. Garnish with a bit of chopped parsley for color. (If the sauce becomes too thick while standing, just thin it by whisking in a tiny bit of hot water.