This Tofu Fish fillet is a protein-packed accompaniment to eat with rice or alone. It is easy to make and so flavorful.
I saw this recipe while browsing the internet and really liked its idea. Tofu is such a great way to get protein into your vegan or vegetarian diet and it is really healthy for you. It is rich in vitamins and minerals. But it can also be tricky to make it tasty if you are unfamiliar with it.
But with this recipe, it’s pressed, marinated, pan-fried, and served with a soy sauce butter sauce. And the crispy seaweed “skin” tastes just like crispy fish skin. It really makes all the difference.
Does the tofu taste like fish? No, but this is much more fun than a plain old tofu slab. I recommend this for the adventurous eater inside you. Check it out below!
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Ingredients for Tofu Fish Fillet
- Extra Firm Tofu. You need extra firm because, as the name implies, it is firmer than other tofu types. It will be less likely to fall apart when cutting and when in the pan.
- Dashi Stock. I get it premade online. It is made from mushrooms and kombu. You can also make your own using this recipe.
- Mushroom Seasoning. This is pure Unami extracted from dried mushrooms. It is kind of like a natural msg.
- Salt. Fish is naturally salty, so you need salt to season the tofu. It also takes out any excess moisture from the tofu.
- Rice Paper. This will be added to the tofu as a “skin”. It is perfect because it gets crispy when fried and adheres to the fillet when wet.
- Potato Starch. The starch will help crisp up the rice paper and nori.
- Nori. This is a seaweed sheet that you can stick on top. Adds a lot of fresh ocean flavor.
- Soy Sauce. Soy sauce gives a lot of flavor and umami to the dish. It is the perfect complement to tofu. I add mine to some butter to make soy butter sauce.
Extra Tips
- Press the Tofu before marinating for it to better absorb the flavor. To do this, you can put it on a plate with paper towels wrapped around it. Then take a heavy object, like a cutting board or a pan to drain the water out. Do this for 30 minutes or so before proceeding with the recipe.
- Make the skin. It may seem like a wasted effort, but it adds a ton of flavor and texture difference. It really does remind me of crispy fish skin which was my favorite part of the fish. For the rice paper, I like getting rectangular-sized rice paper to make it easy to cut on top. But you can do this will circular rice paper too.
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Tofu Fish Fillet
Materials
- 16 oz extra firm tofu drained and pressed
- 1 cup Kombu dashi stock
- 1/4 tsp mushroom seasoning
- 1 tsp rice vinegar
- 1 tsp sugar
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 2 nori sheets cut into 1" strips
- 1-2 pieces rice paper
- 1 1/2 tbsp potato starch
Soy Butter Sauce
- 1 tbsp vegan butter
- 2 tbsp soy sauce
Instructions
- Take the pressed tofu and cut as desired. If you want to make a fish fillet shape, carve the shape and cut in half to get two portions.
- Then slice diagonally about 3/4 of the way through about 1/4" apart. Don't cut all the way through. Salt both sides and set aside.
- Make the marinade by mixing together in a bowl the Kombu dashi broth, mushroom seasoning, rice vinegar, and sugar. Add the "fillets" and the cut up nori sheets and let marinade for 2 hours.
- Pat dry. Sprinkle salt on both sides lay on a flat surface. Cut a nori sheet to zsize and stick on top of the tofu.
- In a bowl mix together the potato starch with 3 tbsp of water. Cut the rice paper and then briefly dip in water. Quickly stick on top to adhere to make the skin.
- Heat a nonstick pan over medium heat with a little bit of oil. Put the tofu fillet "skin" side down. Cook for about 1 minute until crispy. Dust top side with a little bit of potato starch and then flip. Cook until crispy.
- Pan fry other two sides. Serve hot with rice or/and with a dipping sauce.
- To make the soy butter sauce, take a small saucepan and melt the butter and soy sauce. Once hot, add to a shallow dipping bowl.
I hope you try this recipe. If you tried this recipe, let me know in the comments below.
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