At the Gluten-Free Food Show, my kids sampled some free-range chicken tenders, seasoned with a lemon pepper crust. So I set out to recreate the flavour bursts, switching out the chook for tofu, and choosing to fry it instead of baking. These chunky hunks of protein ain’t the prettiest, but they certainly rack up points for flavour. My kids wolfed a whole batch for afternoon tea. You could serve them with a dipping sauce, but really, they’re little grenades of flavour all by themselves.
1 x 275-300g block of tofu *
2 Tbsp nutritional/savoury yeast
2 Tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp garlic granules
¼ cup chickpea/chana flour
¼ cup ground almonds
several hearty grinds of black pepper
1 tsp salt
1 tsp lemon zest
¼ cup water
2 Tbsp oil for shallow frying
* don’t use silken, try a medium to firm block that will hold together when you enthusiastically season it.
Dice the tofu into 2-3 cm cubes. If it looks like the tofu is veering to the soft side of the spectrum, you could gently press it between tea towels to remove any excess water. Most medium or firm blocks should be fine, though. Set the tofu aside.
Mix together all the dry ingredients in a medium sized bowl, being careful to break up any clumps of garlic and lemon zest. When everything’s well combined, add the water, lemon juice and whisk well.
Now it’s time to introduce the tofu to the interesting sludge you’ve just made. You want to coat the chunks with the batter, so feel free to experiment with the best way to do this: you can place a few tofu cubes into the batter at a time and stir it gently with a wooden spoon so each side gets a chance to meet the lemony mud, or you can get in there with your hands and really slosh each cube into the mix. You could also use a teaspoon to pour the mixture over the cubes. I always relish the chance to get my hands involved. Up to you.
You are now ready to fry your coated tofu. Yes, the chunks might look messy and uneven – they will still excite your mouth. Heat the oil in a large pan over a medium heat and fry the tofu until each side is golden.
Serve ‘em warm – though I have put the odd leftover piece into grateful lunchboxes.
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