How to Make Tofu Taste Kinda Alright

Now, being a vegetarian might stink sometimes especially when having to explain to every nosey person the reason for this change in your diet (caused by a mid-life crisis, being an animal obsessor or a hater of blood and guts). But whatever your reason, you have to find a substitutes for meat, like tofu. Upon first trying tofu, it reminded me of a soggy sponge that took a very long time to chew. For once, having a large jaw was a bonus in this situation. I have finally found a way to make it taste, not so much like a cleaning appliance, but more like a juicy, meat-like food.

 Drying: Drain all the water from your pot of tofu and take place the brick on a board. Get a clean, medium sized tea towel and wrap the it around the tofu and gently apply pressure to the towel. Making sure the tofu doesn't break, continue this until the tofu is extremely dry (should take around 10 minutes). After that, cut it into small cubes.

Marinating: Marinading helps give the inside the flavour that it does not get from being crispy like the outside. I chose to add some things to soy sauce to give it a sweeter and less salty flavour. I added ginger, maple syrup, brown sugar and sesame oil. I guessed the amounts of each and kept tasting it to see what it needed more of. Place the tofu cubes into the marinade and leave for as long as possible (i would recommend a whole night). 

Baking: Here is where people make the mistake; tofu is better baked not fried. The outside becomes crispy and the inside still moist. Line a baking tray with baking parchment and arrange the tofu cubes on it. Bake at 200 degrees for twenty-five minutes. Turn the cubes over after 10 minutes and keep checking that they are not burning. After this, they are ready to put straight into a stir fry. 

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