Grilled Tofu with Smoked Salt -

Many people complain that tofu has no flavour and in many cases, this is true. However, as a lover of tofu, there are many ways to prepare this wobbly slab so that it is tasty. Being married to The Vegetarian has taught me tricks such as pressing tofu under a heavy board overnight to release the liquids (alternatively, buy a tofu press) and then marinating it in stock or a marinade so it absorbs the flavours. This recipe shared with us by Agora Products from one of their Greek producers, Salt Odyssey is a perfect example of an easy grilled tofu dish you can serve to the vegetarians in your group when grilling up meat for the carnivores. The smoked salt by Salt Odyssey adds a great dimension of flavour to the dish. Optional notes and tips are our own suggestions.

A More Delicious Tofu Recipe

Recipe by Executive Chef Kostas Magoulas

Ingredients (serves 2 to 4):

1 package of firm tofu
Tip: we used tofu labelled Tau Gwa which is firmer in texture
1 tsp smoked salt by Salt Odyssey
3 to 4 garlic cloves, whole but crushed
Optional: finely chop the garlic for use in the marinade. You may want to include whole garlic cloves to grill
1 tbs soy sauce or tamari
Fresh ground pepper
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1/2 tsp powdered ginger
1 tbs honey
1 tbs spicy mustard
100ml fresh orange juice

Method:

Slice the tofu into rectangles about 1 cm thick and set aside.
In a small bowl, combine the oil, soy sauce, orange juice, mustard, honey, garlic, ginger powder, smoked salt and pepper.
Mix well until it combines. It should be like a salad dressing but more fluid.
Marinate the tofu slices in the oil and salt mixture for one hour.
Tip: for best results do not place this in the fridge.
After marinating, heat a frying pan or grill until it is very hot.
Place the tofu on the pan and cook about one and a half minutes on each side.

Additional suggestions:

The marinade can be kept in the fridge for up to six days and reused as needed.
Toss other vegetables in the marinade and grill them in the same way.
To make a sauce, heat the marinade in a pan. When hot, add a teaspoon of flour, stirring constantly until it thickens.
Tip: If the sauce is too salty, add water until the desired flavour is reached. To thicken, add flour and continue stirring.