Asian Wok Fry

A kilo of tofu crisped in cast iron, then into the wok under a gochujang sauce with balsamic in it

· 1h 43m start to finish · asian supper wok stir fry vegan

Pressed, then cubed

Pressed first, then across into slabs and down into cubes

start Six pressed slabs of tofu leaning in a row on a wooden board beside a knife +3 min The slabs cut down into cubes and tipped into a white bowl

The marinade

Tamari, white miso and toasted sesame oil into a jug

+6 min Dark tamari poured into a Pyrex jug on the scale +7 min White miso spooned in from its tub +7 min Amber sesame oil poured into the jug

Ginger down the box grater with a fork holding it, garlic minced, both in, then rice vinegar

+14 min Ginger grated down a box grater, held against the blade with a fork +20 min Minced garlic and grated ginger side by side on the board +22 min Rice vinegar poured into the jug from a bottle with a red flip cap

Whisked until the miso was gone, over the cubes, tossed. It stayed on the counter rather than going to the fridge

+24 min The marinade whisked smooth, pale brown in the jug +24 min The jug tipped over the bowl of tofu cubes +25 min The cubes tossed, every face coated

The sauce

The most delicious thing I may have ever tasted

Light soy, vegetable broth powder, gochujang

+31 min Kikkoman soy sauce poured into a jug on the scale, bottles of rice vinegar, broth, balsamic and sugar lined up behind +32 min Vegetable broth powder spooned in from its tin +33 min A tub of gochujang held over the jug, the scale tared to zero

Dark miso from the tube, balsamic, sugar

+34 min Dark miso paste squeezed from a tube into the jug +35 min Balsamic poured in, the scale reading 14.0 +36 min Sugar poured from the bag, the scale reading 7.6
+37 min The finished sauce in the jug, dark red and thick

The slurry

Cornstarch under cold water, whisked smooth, set next to the sauce

+39 min Cornstarch in a small bowl on the scale reading 25.0 +40 min Cold water poured onto the starch +41 min The slurry whisked, milky and thin

Starch on the tofu

A second lot of starch, dry, straight over the cubes in their marinade. Nothing drained, nothing patted

+42 min Cornstarch weighed in a granite mortar +43 min The starch tipped over the marinated cubes still sitting in their bowl +46 min The cubes tossed until every face was chalky

First batch, and first mistake

Cast iron up to 9, sunflower oil in, half the cubes in a single layer, dial back to 7

+47 min An empty cast iron pan on the induction hob, dial reading 9, a bottle of sunflower oil beside it +49 min Oil poured into the hot pan +50 min The first batch of coated cubes laid out in a single layer, dial now reading 7

Peppers while it fried

+52 min Pointed red peppers on the board, six still whole, one already cut into strips in a dark bowl

What stayed in the pan

Most of the crust did. It came off the floor of the pan in sheets and went onto the plate as loose brown flakes rather than staying on the cubes

+59 min The second batch frying, the first batch on a plate beside it with dark crust fragments scraped off +64 min The pan floor showing stuck browned patches between the cubes

Beans

+64 min Green beans cut in half on the board, a plate of cut beans and a bowl of pepper strips behind

Everything cut

+75 min Brown mushrooms in their box, scallions sliced into rings, ginger matchsticks, beans, pepper strips, the slurry bowl and the sauce jug +76 min Both batches of fried tofu piled on one plate

The wok

Oil in on 9, pepper ground straight into it and left to spread

+81 min Sunflower oil poured into the non-stick wok, dial reading 9 +82 min A wooden mill grinding pepper into the pool of oil +83 min The pepper spread through the oil, nothing else in the wok yet

Aromatics

Ginger matchsticks and scallions first, then the sliced garlic, then lemon zest cut off in strips and chopped

+84 min Ginger matchsticks and sliced scallions bubbling in the oil +87 min Sliced garlic added, everything frying hard +86 min A pared lemon on the board beside chopped zest
+87 min The chopped zest stirred through the aromatics

Vegetables, in order

Mushrooms quartered while the aromatics went, then beans first, peppers and mushrooms together after

+88 min Brown mushrooms quartered on the board, the box behind +89 min The beans tipped into the wok on top of the aromatics +91 min Pepper strips and quartered mushrooms added, a dried red chili among them

Bamboo shoots out of the jar, drained, in last

+93 min One jar of bamboo shoots emptied into a sieve, a second still full behind it +95 min The drained shoots piled on top of the vegetables in the wok

Tofu back, then both bowls

Slurry over the top first, sauce poured around the edge after

+100 min The fried tofu tipped back into the wok +100 min The milky slurry poured over everything +101 min The dark sauce poured around the edge of the wok

+103 min The finished stir fry, everything glossy and clinging

Recipe

Marinated tofu

Good UnitsBad UnitsItemDirections
1000 g2 lbExtra-firm tofuPress, cut into 2 cm cubes, add to bowl1
75 gTamariInto bowl2
55 gWhite misoInto bowl2
30 gToasted sesame oilInto bowl2
30 gRice vinegarInto bowl2
30 gGingerGrate, into bowl2
4 clovesGarlicMince, into bowl2
50 gCornstarchWhisk bowl2 smooth, over bowl1, toss, then starch over the top, toss again

Sauce

Good UnitsBad UnitsItemDirections
75 gLight soy sauceInto bowl3
Vegetable broth powderInto bowl3
55 gGochujangInto bowl3
1 tbspDark misoInto bowl3
15 gBalsamic vinegarInto bowl3
8 gSugarInto bowl3, whisk, set by the stove

Slurry

Good UnitsBad UnitsItemDirections
25 gCornstarchInto bowl4
90 gCold waterInto bowl4, whisk smooth, set aside

Stir fry

Good UnitsBad UnitsItemDirections
70 gNeutral oilInto a hot pan, fry bowl1 in two batches until browned, remove
40 gNeutral oilInto the wok on high
Black pepperGrind into the oil
12Dried red chiliesInto the oil
40 gGingerCut into matchsticks, into the oil
10 clovesGarlicSlice, into the oil
1 bunchScallionsSlice, into the oil
LemonZest, chop, into the oil
Green beansHalve, into the wok, 2 min
Red peppersCut into strips, into the wok
300 gMushroomsQuarter, into the wok with the peppers, 2 min
400 gBamboo shootsDrain, into the wok, 1 min
bowl1Back into the wok, toss 1 min
bowl4Stir, pour over, toss
bowl3Pour around the edge of the wok, toss until glossy

Commentary, extra notes

  • Wrong pan for the tofu. The starch and the wet marinade glued themselves to the cast iron and the crust came off the floor in sheets. The non-stick wok browns these cubes far better
  • The balsamic is what carries the sauce. Fifteen grams against the gochujang and the dark miso, and it stops the whole thing reading as chili paste
  • The wok needs to be constantly stirred because heat is concentrated at the center
  • Six to twelve portions depending on whether rice or noodles go under it