But I imagine that we can ignore that for a few minutes and focus on this recipe for tofu skewers.
They are simple to make but change a little from the endless sausages that you buy on the go in the trade, and which, even if they help out well, end up getting a little tired!
The choice of tofu for the skewers
I have long been a subscriber to natural Soy tofu, which is very easy to find in organic stores. One day, I’m going to do my shopping in the unusual little Biocoop in which I never put a toe. Sacrilege, they don’t have my beloved tofu, I’m a little disappointed and drunk, but I buy the one that’s available, from the Locadélice brand, because I really needed tofu that day.
And there, revelation: its texture, melting, a little smooth and silky, has NOTHING to do with it. It has a slight bitterness sometimes (but that’s because it’s coagulated with nigari), but as it’s rarely eaten plain without anything, it’s discreet.
Since then, you will have understood, I complain in my usual store which does not have the good Locadélice tofu. Some would say I’m not usurping my French side, and frankly I wouldn’t give them anything but reason.
I therefore advise you to take a tofu of the same style, very soft, which will be extremely tender once marinated.
Smoked paprika marinade
Marinating ingredients is an interesting option, but for tofu, it is even, I would say, totally essential.
We know among ourselves, people convinced that tofu is good, that it is also a food that we do not throw in the pan, that we brown on both sides, and that we eat like that, without any other treatment.
You can of course opt for flavored tofu, as I mentioned in my recipe for peach and basil tofu skewersbut that doesn’t prevent us from sticking to the flavors of the tofu available, and as a bonus, I assure you: you won’t get the softness from these skewers!
Before you start, you should know that tofu is a naturally waterlogged product: to use it with a marinade, the objective will be to make it spit out its water first.
Some people who have been given a little patience put it in the fridge with a tea towel and weights. Me, in a more random style, I press it firmly but without damaging it, above my sink.
Then, you should know that the marinade is deliberately composed of several elements, which are essential to it, which will allow it to have very pronounced flavors and penetration on the surface of your tofu.
You can then accommodate it according to your desires and cupboards but be sure to always keep:
- An acidic element: lemon, orange, vinegar…
- A fatty element: here I could have put oil because frankly margarine is not practical!
- One or more aromatic elements: herbs and spices will be your friends!
For more practicality, bring a box or a dish that is not narrow. The objective of the marinating session is for all the tofu to be immersed in the marinade to soak it up! For my part, I take an airtight container, I shake and I take care to do it from time to time during the duration of the maceration.
The duration of maceration, let’s talk about it! I tested two durations for you, without really wanting to: one at +4 hours, and one at +24 hours. There is no photo: the second is much better. I advise you at least to think about it in the evening, to marinate them, to shake it again when you go to sleep and once when you get up. This way all the tofu will be well flavored and you will enjoy it.
Cooking tofu skewers
We have a garden, and for 3 years, we had a built-in barbecue but no grill, and we used our electric plancha. It must be said that having a barbecue for two does not really make sense, especially since, for a little prevention:
- the barbecue, depending on what we use to light the fire and the charcoal used, can release a lot of particles in the air (and in passing in our skewers), it is clearly not the most ecological or health
- In times of drought, the barbecue can even be devastating. The embers can quickly fly with the wind, so I encourage you to always have something to put out a potential fire next to you (here we always have the water jet nearby)
That said, we ended up lighting one 15 days ago (when we weren’t cooking at room temperature yet), for an aperitif with our neighbours: so as not to die stupid but just from hot, or cancer, thanks to the harmful compounds released by this summer cooking.
You can absolutely cook them this way, without the risk of the skewers sticking to the grill.
Similarly, for other cooking, you can use a plancha (which is very cool to make vegetables with) but also simply use a pan if the summer is not there.
There are no problems, only solutions.
During cooking, I invite you to baste with marinade to really have a concentrate of flavor. Similarly, do not prolong the latter too much: it is better to have a slightly high heat and quick cooking, to avoid making the skewers a little dry.
Finally, I invite you to consult my recap article on the recipes for a vegan barbecueyou’ll find plenty of ideas for dining at these slightly unmissable social events of the summer.
Tofu skewers with smoked paprika
Ingredients
- 500 g plain tofu
- 3 pods garlic
- 1/2 lemon
- 3 vs. soup soya sauce
- 2 vs. soup olive oil
- 1 vs. soup smoked paprika
- 2 vs. soup Maple syrup
- 16 Cherry tomato
Instructions
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Preferably the day before, if not a few hours before, take your tofu out of its packaging (it’s better without it, it seems).
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Either by leaving it in a cloth with weights, in the fridge, or above the sink, squeeze the tofu to make it release its water. Go with caution if you choose the second option, the goal is not to destroy said tofu.
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Cut it into large cubes. In my block of 500 g I made 24 cubes, which gives good big pieces, which are not likely to explode when you put them on the skewer, and which also allows them to be very tender.
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In an airtight box (so with a lid), mix the lemon, soy sauce, oil, smoked paprika and maple syrup. Add pressed or grated garlic.
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Drop the tofu in, and shake vigorously after closing the box and making sure you’re not going to repaint your entire kitchen.
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Then put in the fridge for either a few hours or at best overnight. The duration allows for a better distribution of flavors! I also advise you to stir it from time to time, once or twice, so that the pieces that bathe in the marinade are not always the same and that the rendering is homogeneous.
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Before cooking, prick the tofu cubes on a skewer, alternating with cherry tomatoes. You can obviously use fresh pepper or onion, which also do the job!
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Cook on the heat source of your choice: it can be on the barbecue, taking care to have a lot of coals and to color them, without leaving them too long, on the plancha, or even in the pan.Above all, take care to baste with a little of the marinade so as not to waste this precious juice: preferably we don’t reuse it when it has been used for meat, I don’t think that’s a great idea either in our case.
