a more vegetarian inclination: fried tofu redux.

disclaimer: this post is an exercise in theoretical cooking, in that i'll suggest a recipe that i've never actually tried. for those brave souls out there, if you do give this a try, tell me how it turns out.

truly vegetarian noodle bowl, with fried tofu

with the exception of tofu preparation, this is exactly the same recipe as when we made use of asparagus stems for broth.

as for the tofu, in the old recipe i suggested a simple egg coating: from experience, a beaten egg mixture is sticky, but not sticky enough to add breadcrumbs or a layer of flour for a proper batter. so if you want to reduce your egg intake, here are some ideas:

1. tempura style. actually, when i wrote the first recipe, i had tempura in mind but couldn't be bothered to do the fast-paced frying. this uses egg whites, for those still egg-willing.
   
   take equal parts cornstarch and very-cold-water .. say 1 cup each; mix water and 3 egg whites until frothy, and mix in cornstarch. dip tofu and fry in oil, as usual.
   
   very cold water is essential; the larger the temperature gradient, the fluffier the coating.
   
   
2. paste coating. this part is theoretical, but i think it might work. you'll need some miso paste, and your favorite crispy coating, such as breadcrumbs or crushed peanuts or even thinly sliced scallions; i suggest a combination of the latter two. also, keep a little flour handy.
   
   the idea is pretty simple; it's more like a searing method, but you'll need two frying pans. i also suggest a pair of tongs instead of a spatula.
   
   cut tofu slices which are as thin as .. say, your pinky finger but large enough to eat in 2-3 bites. gently coat one side of a tofu slice generously with miso, and then press that miso side into the crispy coating; use for fingers if you have to. dust with a little flour so that none of the miso is exposed. do the same for each side of a tofu slice, then let the prepared tofu slices chill in the fridge for about 20 minutes.
   
   prepare one pan for searing, which requires rather high heat. set the other pan at low heat; if you have cooking spray, use it, but if not, a thin layer of cooking oil also works.
   
   add a thin layer of oil to the searing pan a half-minute before you're ready to fry the tofu, and do so with small batches at a time; if the tofu warms up, then the coating might be compromised.
   
   sear both sides of each tofu slice in the batch, and when a slice finishes searing, switch it into the low heat pan; the slice will keep cooking on low heat as you sear the other slices.
   
   variations on paste. any thick, sticky paste will do. for those who like strong flavors, a chilled peanut satay sauce or unsalted natural peanut butter could work, as well as a good, thick honey for the very brave, you could use wasabi paste.