Spicy salted egg tofu to spice up meatless Fridays
Tofu is a popular go-to for those searching for meat substitutes, especially during Lent. This versatile ingredient can be used in diverse dishes and is rich in nutrients, whether in its silken, soft, firm or extra-firm forms. It contains protein, all essential amino acids and is low in saturated fat and cholesterol.Byron Francisco, president and CEO of Pantree Food Concepts Inc., shares his recipe for spicy salted egg tofu.
Francisco, a culinary arts graduate from De La Salle–College of Saint Benilde, trained in the kitchens of leading hospitality brands, including Discovery Shores Boracay and Edsa Shangri-La Manila and served as culinary instructor at his alma mater and as program head for Hospitality Management and program director for Culinary Arts at Global City Innovative College.
Spicy Salted Egg Tofu by chef Byron Francisco
- 1 pc tofu, cut into batons
- 1 egg, beaten
- Salt
- Black pepper, ground
- Paprika
- All-purpose flour, for dredging
- Camote powder, for final coating
- Cooking oil
- Sauce and garnish:2 Tbsp cooking oil
- 1 pc red onion, minced
- 1 pc bird’s eye chili, minced
- 1 pc green finger chili, minced
- 1 Tbsp sugar, white
- 1 c chicken stock
- ¼ c salted egg powder or 2 pcs salted egg yolk
- Basil leaves for garnish
Season tofu batons with salt, pepper and paprika in a bowl.
Dredge in flour, dip in beaten eggs, and roll in camote powder. Repeat this process twice until you achieve thick breading.
Fry in oil under medium heat until light brown. Remove from pan.
Increase the temperature of the oil to high and refry tofu until golden brown. Set aside.
For the sauce, sauté onion and chili peppers in oil for 2 minutes. Add sugar and mix until well incorporated.
Dissolve salted egg powder in chicken stock and add to the mixture. Reduce until sauce thickens. Set aside.
Fry basil leaves in oil until translucent and drain.
To assemble, pour spicy salted egg sauce on a plate, then place the fried tofu. Garnish with fried basil.
