Rouxbe

• 2 small serrano peppers - can substitute with 2 medium jalapeños
• 6 tbsp fresh ginger
• 1 medium onion
• 1 cup garlic head (10 cloves)
• 2 tbsp sesame oil
• 4 tbsp olive oil
• 1/2 cup honey
• 6 tbsp molasses
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 3 cups soy sauce
• 1 block extra firm tofu

Start by seeding the serrano chilis and roughly chopping (for a spicier marinade, leave the seeds in). Purée in a food processor. Peel and roughly chop the ginger and onion. Add the ginger, onion and peeled garlic cloves to the food processor and purée until quite fine.

Add the sesame oil to a saucepan over medium heat then add the onion mixture and sauté until the onions start to sweat, about two or three minutes.

Turn the heat to medium-low and mix in the olive oil, honey, molasses and brown sugar. Stir until the brown sugar is almost completely dissolved, then add the soy sauce. If soy sauce is too salty, substitute one of the cups for water.
Bring to a quick boil, then reduce the heat and let simmer for about 30 minutes. Once the marinade is finished cooking, allow it to cool completely before using.

Cut the tofu into 1" thick slices and place into a shallow casserole dish. Pour the marinade over the tofu, cover and refrigerate for up to 3 hours. Do not marinate the tofu longer than that, as it will absorb too much of the marinade. Flip the tofu at least once while marinating.

Related Drill-downs

• What are Serrano Peppers?

• 2 tbsp grape seed or vegetable oil

Heat oil in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Turn tofu one last time before cooking then add to the hot pan. Cook until it starts to caramelize, about a minute or two on each side, keeping in mind that the tofu will stick if the pan is not hot enough.

Transfer the cooked tofu to a plate. Heat a little bit of the marinade in the pan as a sauce then pour over tofu. Serve hot or room temperature. It is also delicious cold.

Related Drill-downs

• What is Julienne?