Spicy Tofu With Lemon Grass and Chiles

"Light, delicious way to use fresh lemon grass from your garden or market. From Deborah M. Schneider, executive chef, Hilton La Jolla Torrey Pines."
 
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Ready In:
25mins
Ingredients:
10
Serves:
4
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ingredients

  • 1 lb chinese-style tofu, soft or firm (see note)
  • 13 cup canola oil or 1/3 cup peanut oil, plus more as needed
  • 1 cup cornstarch
  • 2 teaspoons sugar
  • 3 stalks very fresh lemongrass, white part finely minced to a paste,with
  • 12 teaspoon salt (about 1/3 cup, see note)
  • 8 cloves garlic, finely chopped
  • 1 -3 tablespoon sambal oelek chili paste (hot red chile paste, see note)
  • shredded lettuce
  • white rice
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directions

  • Drain the tofu and cut into 1 1/2-inch squares.
  • Pat as dry as possible with paper towels.
  • In a heavy wok or large saute pan, heat the oil until it reaches medium-hot, but do not allow to smoke.
  • Toss dried tofu cubes with cornstarch to coat lightly, and shake off excess in a sieve or colander.
  • Set carefully in the hot oil (don't crowd; cook in batches if necessary) and cook until lightly brown and crisp on all sides.
  • Soft tofu won't get as crisp as firm.
  • Remove browned cubes from the pan, drain on paper towels and keep warm.
  • Pour off all the oil but 3 tablespoons and set the pan over medium-high heat.
  • Return the tofu to the pan and toss with the sugar; saute briefly until the sugar begins to melt.
  • Add the lemon grass and garlic, and cook, tossing, until the lemon grass is fragrant.
  • Add the sambal oelek paste and cook, tossing, until the red sauce starts to turn brown.
  • Using 1 tablespoon makes the dish mildly spicy, 2 tablespoons makes it medium spicy, and 3 tablespoons makes it downright hot.
  • Line a platter with shredded lettuce and spoon the cooked tofu over the lettuce.
  • Serve with steamed white rice on the side.
  • Makes 4 entree servings.
  • Notes: Soft tofu is a little trickier to handle but gives a better finished texture.
  • Firm tofu will stay quite hard; do not use extrafirm tofu.
  • Lemon grass is available in the produce section of Asian markets and some supermarkets.
  • Sambal oelek paste is available at Asian markets or in the Asian section of supermarkets.

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RECIPE SUBMITTED BY

<p>Married to my sweetheart for almost forty years and we have two wonderful children who are grown and have flown the coop. Also, we have been blessed with a wonderful son-in-law and beautiful daughter-in-law, plus FIVE grandchildren: two beautiful granddaughters ages five and eight, and three sweet adorable little grandsons ages 2 months, 2 years and 3 years. My husband and I share a combination of English, Irish, Scottish, Welsh, Dutch, Swiss, Polish, Austrian, German and French heritage, and our son-in-law and daughter-in-law are both Hispanic. We've traveled extensively to many countries abroad (we lived in Germany), and have traveled and lived in several states here in the U.S.A. Many of the recipes I post here are influenced by our combined heritage or from our travels, or they are old family favorites that I want to share with you. I hope you enjoy! Have been to culinary school with many years of cooking (mostly for my family) under my belt, so know my way around a kitchen. And I'm very lucky to have the best sous chef in the world, dddddh! One of my favorite chefs of all time is Jacques Pepin! I have several of his cookbooks, and enjoy watching his television cooking show Fast Food My Way. Another top favorite is Julia Child (of course!). A few other chefs I read/enjoy watching on t.v. are: Giada At Home, Ina Garten's The Barefoot Contessa, Nigella Lawson's Nigella Bites, and Patti's Mexican Kitchen, and many more. On my bucket list is dining at Thomas Keller's establishment The French Laundry in Napa Valley, California... as well as Alice Waters' Chez Panisse in Berkeley, and the James Beard award winning Tartine Bakery and Cafe in San Francisco. One day!! &nbsp; Hobbies/Interests: Decorating with fresh flowers and herbs from the garden is my passion, and brings me deep joy! It's really hard to beat!! I love connecting with others who enjoy the same. Gardening, decorating, sewing, music, dancing, film, and reading are also up there. Spending quality time with my grandchildren, family, and friends (and cooking holiday meals!). Currently, a newfound passion has been so richly rewarding for me: genealogical research. I heart ancestry dot com. And last but certainly not least, I absolutely LOVE cats--we have two half-Siamese fur babies (cats) that allow us to live here!!&nbsp; &nbsp; A Note of Thanks~ I try to personally thank everyone who kindly makes and reviews my recipes, but sometimes I am busy, late, or may forget. Please know that I am always humbled that you would try one of my recipes, and I enjoy reading the reviews and seeing all the pretty photographs. Thanks so much!&nbsp;</p>
 
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