|
BY BETH MAXEY
Makes about 1 quart of soymilk, 6 servings of Flower Blossom Tofu, or 1 medium block of pressed tofu
Serves 4-6 | start to finish: 1 hour
from Edible Seattle September/October 2011
1 cup of dry soybeans, soaked overnight at room temperature
4 cups fresh water
In a blender or food processor, blend the pre-soaked soybeans the water until the mixture is creamy and smooth, no bits are visible and there is a good head of foam on the top. (I need to do this in two batches using my Cuisinart.)
Place a cheesecloth-lined sieve over a large sauce pan and pour the raw soymilk through it. Squeeze the cheesecloth to remove as much liquid as possible from the bean pulp. Heat the sauce pan over a high flame, until it just starts to boil (roughly 200 degrees). Enjoy as soymilk (try a pinch of sugar or cinnamon on top) or transfer to a shallow container to begin making tofu.
***THE TOFU PROCESS
1 quart soymilk
2 teaspoons nigari (or Epsom salts) dissolved in 1 cup water
Cool the soymilk to 175 degrees and pour in the coagulant. Give a very gentle stir and then let it set. The coagulation itself takes about 20 minutes with nigari and happens almost instantly with Epsom salts. Your tofu should be soft and spongy if you have used nigari and more jello-like if you used the salts. If your tofu is too crumbly for your taste, use more coagulant next time.
Your Flower Blossom Tofu is ready to eat as soon as it is firm, and is at its best warm. For firmer tofu, you have to drain the “whey.” Place the curds in a cloth and press for 20 minutes or so while still hot, to form a block. Stainless steel and wooden tofu presses are available, but you can also drain your tofu in triple cheesecloth over a colander, weighted with whatever is convenient.
Firmness and texture are dependent on the type and quantity of coagulant and how much you press the tofu. If your flower blossom is too loose for your taste, try adding more coagulant, or using Epsom salts, which brings a firmer result. It’s a good idea to soak enough beans for several batches the first go around.
vegan • gluten-free
Flower Blossom Tofu
Serves 6 | start to finish: 10 minutes
Using a slotted spoon, put several generous scoops of warm, fresh tofu in a bowl. If your tofu is no longer warm, first place the scoops in still, hot water for several minutes. From here it is all about toppings. Ginger syrup and brown sugar are popular sweet toppings. My favorite—the dish my husband made for me-- comes from Fuchsia Dunlop’s Land of Plenty: light soy sauce, a spoon full of chili oil with flakes, a drop or two of sesame oil, finely chopped preserved mustard greens, slivered scallions, and still-warm pan-toasted peanuts. If you like the kick of Sichuan Pepper, I recommend just a tiny pinch on top. Delicious!
 |
