Glazed hasselback tofu with miso gravy and crunchy nut sprinkles
- Prepare
- 30 mins to 1 hour
- Cook
- 30 mins to 1 hour
- Serve
- Serves 2
If you are looking for a vegan protein to be part of a Christmas feast, this hasselback tofu recipe is perfect. Most of the elements can be prepped in advance and when it comes to cooking, it only takes up a small amount of space in the oven.
Ingredients
For the glazed tofu
- 280g/10oz firm or extra firm tofu, drained
- 2 tbsp yeast extract
- 2 tbsp soft brown sugar
- 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 1 tbsp orange juice
For the miso gravy
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil
- 50g/1¾oz shallots, peeled and sliced
- 100g/3½oz chestnut mushrooms, finely sliced
- 1 tsp finely chopped fresh thyme leaves
- 1 tbsp dark miso
- 1 tsp plain flour
- 200ml/7fl oz light vegetable stock
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
For the crunchy nut sprinkles
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 50g/1¾oz roughly chopped mixed nuts (such as peeled and cooked chestnuts, skin-on almonds and walnuts)
- 8 fresh sage leaves, finely sliced
- 1 garlic clove, finely chopped
- ¼ tsp ground nutmeg
- 1 tbsp finely chopped fresh flatleaf parsley
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
Method
To make the glazed tofu, slice the tofu in half horizontally so there are two pieces that are around 2–3cm/¾–1¼in deep. Press for 30 minutes to get rid of any excess liquid then preheat the oven to 200C/180C Fan/Gas 6. Line a small baking tin with baking paper.
Place a chopstick down each of the long sides of the tofu and slice down in 5mm/¼in intervals to form the ‘hasselback’ shape.
Nestle the pieces of tofu in a flat layer in the baking tin.
Mix the yeast extract, sugar, vinegar and orange juice together in a bowl. Spoon half of the glaze across both pieces of the tofu and, using a thin knife and a teaspoon, encourage the glaze down into the cuts. Spoon the rest of the glaze across the top.
Bake for 45 minutes, basting with any run-off glaze every 15 minutes.
To make the gravy, heat the oil in a small saucepan over a medium–low heat. Fry the shallots, mushrooms and thyme for 10 minutes or until softened. Do not season.
Mix in the miso and flour and then, continually stirring, gradually add the stock and 100ml/3½fl oz just-boiled water.
Giving it the occasional stir, bring to a simmer. Add a little pepper and check to see if it needs any salt (vegetable stock and miso can already be quite salty). Remove from the heat and keep warm.
To make the sprinkles, heat the oil in a frying pan over a medium–low heat. Add the nuts, sage, garlic and nutmeg. Season with salt and pepper and cook for a couple of minutes, stirring often, until the nuts are lightly golden. Take off the heat and stir through the parsley.
To serve, ladle a large spoonful of the miso gravy onto two warmed serving plates. Place one piece of hasselback tofu on each plate then scatter over the crunchy nut sprinkles. Serve with the extra gravy on the side.
Recipe tips
The crunchy nut sprinkles can be made up to 1 day in advance and stored in a sealed container at room temperature.
The miso gravy can be used straightaway or cooled and stored in an airtight container for up to 5 days in the fridge. It will just need bringing back to a simmer to serve.
