Pickled Tofu Carpaccio, Beet Syrup, Asian Slaw

Pickled Tofu Carpaccio, Beet Syrup, Asian Slaw

By his own admission, he’s not a tofu guy. But my brother Don is definitely a foodie. Never met a foie gras he didn’t like. Tofu does not elicit even a glimmer of interest or enthusiasm. He trusts his sister though, so when she offers him a vibrant pickled tofu carpaccio – he definitely gives it a try.

Not to my surprise, it receives a big thumbs up. With the combination of exotic spices, sweet and hot juxtaposed to crunchy and soft elements, he advises to try all the flavors in one bite – calling it both a science experiment and a volcanic eruption.

Pickled Tofu Carpaccio, Beet Syrup, Asian Slaw Recipe

Pickled Tofu

• 1 c. white wine vinegar
• 1/2 c. sugar
• 1 star anise pod
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 2 t. pickling spice blend (cinnamon, allspice, mustard seed, coriander, bay, ginger, chili, clove, black pepper, mace, cardamom)

Combine ingredients in a small pot. Bring to a boil then simmer for 20 minutes. Strain. Bring pickling syrup to room temperature.

• 3/4 c. beet juice
• 1 block extra firm tofu

Add beet juice to pickling syrup. Slice tofu into thin rectangles. Submerge tofu in the pickling syrup and refrigerate for one hour.

Beet Syrup

Remove tofu from the liquid and set aside. In a small sauce pan, reduce the pickling liquid to a syrup consistency. Then let cool to room temperature.

Asian Slaw

• napa cabbage, sliced into ribbons
• purple cabbage, sliced into ribbons
• carrots, sliced into ribbons
• scallions, sliced
• cilantro leaves

Dressing

• 1/4 c. sesame oil
• 1/4 c. rice wine vinegar
• 2 t. sugar
• salt and pepper to taste

Combine ingredients for the dressing then toss with the slaw mixture.

Assembly

Fan out 5 slices of pickled tofu on a plate. Mound the Asian slaw on one side of the tofu. Garnish tofu with thinly sliced serrano chiles, cilantro leaves, and black sesame seeds.

Drizzle beet syrup over the tofu and around the plate.

Volcanic. Eruption.