If I can just put a little context on this recipe. Firstly I am a meat eater, who tries and eats plant based as much as possible. My work place is dominated by meat eaters, who have an extremely well developed nutrition bent, so I am always on the look out for meals that really fill the flexitarian mould, this recipe does it in spades. I served it with a braised rice but to be honest anything from naan to fried tortilla will work with this. This recipe is a little disjointed as each section is kind of separate but part of the whole. I hope it makes sense.
It was early morning and I found a recipe that I kinda liked. I added in some bits from old concepts that I have used, and came up with the start of this recipe. I took it to work and tried it out on three confirmed carnivores, all who thought it was chicken or fish, so the texture is right as well as a good flavour. I needed to up the savoury flavours to balance out the sweetness that a teriyaki sauce produces. it took quite a few goes but I engaged smug mode when I got to this version. It has a simple meaty bite with spice and sweetness combined with a crisp finish.
A tempora batter is very very crisp, sparkly cold (very cold ) water and cornflour. I tried to use this but it didn’t have the meaty bite I wanted so I played with it until I got the mouth feel I wanted
I have split this recipe into a different section, but concentrated mostly on the sauce and batter. as important as the cauli and tofu are, you can use any steams veg or protein and get brilliant results.
teriyaki sauce- serves 2
- Honey 65g
- soy 70ml ( I use kikkoman it isn’t too strong but has a great flavour)
- Clove of garlic crushed
- ¼ red chilli pepper, no seeds- diced
- 10g of ginger- crushed
- 5g of rice vinegar ( used white wine if you don’t have rice)
- Juice of half a lime with zest
- Tsp of sesame seeds
- 40ml water
- Touch of cornflour slacked in cold water
Simply made. Blitz all the ingredients into a sauce and then put over a low heat and bring to the simmer, DO NOT BOIL.
Slake down a little cornflour with some more water and slowly add to the sauce, stirring all the time. You want to get a sauce consistence that just coats a spoon.
Pass through a fine sieve and allow to cool.
BATTER
Make a simple batter. It took a while but I found that half corn flour and half plain flour worked best. I didn’t season at all in this recipe, due to the terryaki coating which give a massive umami hit. The batter is just for texture not for flavour. . I find this batter is a firmer bite than a conventional tempura batter and colours better which goes well with the dish. it also stays firm when cooler!
- 50g plain flour
- 50g cornflour
- 100ml sparkling water ( as cold as you can make it)
mix the flours together then slowly add the water, stirring continuously
Tofu and cauli
Just to be clear almost all poultry and fish based products produce more protein per 100g than tofu. BUT they also produce more fat, so it is a bit of a toss up when it come to nutrition. I could go totally in depth into this, BUT I can just as easily prove that plant based it batter and also prove meat based is batter, so I think I will leave it as I always do. EAT PLANT BASED FOR 50% OF YOUR MEALS AT LEAST. it is just so much better for the environment.
- 100g firm tofu
- 100g cauli
- 30g plain flour
- pinch of salt
- pinch of Turmeric
Tofu comes in many different types. Use firm tofu for this recipe.
Firstly, cut the cauli into bite size pieces and cook for about 6 minutes until they are al dente, and then chill under cold running water.
Remove the tofu from its package and wrap in a tea towel. Place a weight on top for about 30 minutes until the water stops seeping out. Then cut into bite size pieces.
Pass the tofu and cauli through the flour and turmeric mix and then through the batter mix.
Deep fry until golden ( I shallow fry at home as I don’t have a deep fat fryer. Do it in a few batches and keep warm.)
Transfer to the pan, Coat in a little of the sauce and heat, you want the sauce to blacken just a little. Top with toasted sesame and serve with a small jug of the warm sauce on the side
I served with braised puy lentils and spinach
Scoff
Food ideas 