Give tofu a 2nd try; here’s the secret

Fried hoisin tofu with peanut noodles

Recently, a colleague confessed to being tofuchallenged. She had tried cooking it years ago and was so disappointed in the results she never tried again. But a stellar dish of crispy tofu in a Laotian restaurant prompted her to want to get back on the horse. So she asked me: What are the secrets?

Tofu is a complex product, with multiple varieties and strategies to match, depending on the dish. But for what she was after, I boiled down my tips to this: Drain and press out as much of the moisture from the tofu as possible so it can soak up the flavors of a good marinade, then coat it in cornstarch and pan-fry it. Or skip the marinade in favor of an after-frying glaze, using hoisin or teriyaki sauce or something like it. Or do both, adding flavor before frying and after.

That same before-andafter approach is what drew me, coincidentally, to a recipe for fried hoisin tofu in Ginny Kay McMeans’ new book. The base of the bowl is wonderfully slippery udon noodles, which you bathe in an easy peanut sauce before adding wilted spinach for more nutrients — and color. The hoisin marinade helps the starchy coating stick to the tofu, meaning that with just a few minutes of pan-frying, you give its flavor-packed, tender interior a crackly crust.

Now, for the after. With no cooking required to solve any food-safety concerns, you are free to repurpose the leftover hoisin marinade to use as a condiment, tying the elements of the dish together with a sweet-and-salty drizzle. Servings: 4or5 10 1. Wrap the tofu in paper towels, 2. Cut the tofu into cubes, 3. While the tofu is marinating, tofu, 4. When the tofu is ready, 5. Heat the oil in a large skillet 6. Return the skillet to medium-high heat and add the chopped spinach. Cook, stirring, until it wilts completely, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer the spinach to a separate bowl.

7. Add the broth, 8. Divide the spinach-udon mixture Nutrition information, based on 5 servings (using 1 tablespoon of oil): 480 calories; 20 g total fat (5 g saturated fat); 1280 mg sodium; 60 g carbohydrates; 6 g dietary fiber; 15 g sugar; 20 g protein.

bag (16 ounces) chopped collard greens Freshly ground black pepper

6. Divide the polenta among serving bowls, top with the braised collards mixture and sprinkle with the cheese. Serve hot.

Nutrition information per serving:

TOM MCCORKLE/FOR THE WASHIONGTON POST heat. Once the oil shimmers, add the tofu and fry, stirring and tossing frequently, until browned and crisp all over, about 6 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to transfer to a bowl, and pour out and discard any excess oil from the skillet.