Roasted tofu with tamari, aubergine flower and tomato emulsion

  • medium
  • 10
  • 2 hours 30 minutes
Not yet rated

This stunning vegan dish is comprised of aubergine wrapped in tomato 'petals', tamari-roasted tofu and a variety of colourful sauces. Serve for guests seeking a visual thrill with their meal.

First published in 2016

Ingredients

Metric

Imperial

Aubergine and tomato 'flower'

  • 400g of aubergine, (about 2 large aubergines)
  • 300g of tomatoes, (about 7 large red tomatoes)
  • 200g of parsley leaves
  • extra virgin olive oil, of excellent quality
  • salt
  • pepper

Transparent sauce

  • 750g of tomatoes
  • salt
  • 12g of yellow cornflour, mixed with a little water
  • 12g of kuzu

Black sauce

  • 12g of yellow cornflour, mixed with a little water
  • charcoal powder

Green sauce

  • 120g of parsley
  • 10g of yellow cornflour, mixed with a little water
  • oil
  • salt

Red sauce

  • 200g of tomatoes
  • 2g of salt
  • 10g of cornflour

Pan-roasted tofu

  • 750g of tofu, semi-hard, cut into even blocks
  • tamari

Equipment

  • Food processor
  • Muslin cloth
  • Squeezy bottle 4
  • Hand blender

Method

1
To begin, start making the tomato water for the transparent sauce. Add the tomatoes to a blender with a sprinkling of salt and pulse gently for 10 seconds to break up the tomatoes. Transfer to a muslin bag suspended over a jug to collect the liquid that drips through for at least 6 hours. Weigh out 250g for use in the sauce – any extra can be used in other dishes
2
Preheat the oven to 180°C/gas mark 4
3
To make the flower, wash the aubergines and bake whole in the oven for 30 minutes, or until they start to soften and blister. Remove from the oven, place in a bowl, cover with cling film and allow to cool. Peel the aubergine and cut into long, thin strips. Place in a sieve and allow to drain – you will need to keep any excess liquid from cooking and draining the aubergine for the black sauce (you will need 250g of liquid in total)
  • 400g of aubergine, (about 2 large aubergines)
4
When the aubergine is dry, season with salt and pepper and set aside
  • pepper
  • salt
5
Cut a little cross on the bottom of each tomato and blanch for a few seconds in salted boiling water. Drain and place directly into iced water to cool quickly
  • 300g of tomatoes, (about 7 large red tomatoes)
6
Peel the tomatoes and cut the flesh into petals, removing and discarding the seeds as you go
7
Chop the parsley very finely and add enough olive oil to lightly bind
  • extra virgin olive oil, of excellent quality
  • 200g of parsley leaves
8
To assemble the flowers, create even spheres out of the aubergine pulp and form 3 'petals' around each sphere. Roll each ball in cling film and set aside
9
To prepare the white sauce, bring the 250ml of tomato water to the boil in a pan, then blend in the cornstarch and kuzu to a smooth sauce using a hand blender. Transfer to a squeezy bottle and set aside until required
  • 12g of kuzu
  • 12g of yellow cornflour, mixed with a little water
10
To make the green sauce, blanch the parsley for 30 seconds in salted boiling water before draining and transferring to a bowl of iced water. Once cool, squeeze out any excess moisture and blitz in a blender with a little oil, the cornflour and salt, creating a thick, vibrant, creamy sauce. Store in a squeezy bottle
  • salt
  • 120g of parsley
  • 10g of yellow cornflour, mixed with a little water
  • oil
11
To make the black sauce, place the 250ml of reserved aubergine water in a pan and bring to the boil. Blend in the cornflour and add enough charcoal to create an opaque black sauce. Store in a squeezy bottle until ready to serve
  • charcoal powder
  • 12g of yellow cornflour, mixed with a little water
12
To make the red sauce, Place the tomatoes in a blender and blitz to a smooth purée. Season to taste with salt, pass through a fine sieve then transfer to a saucepan. Bring to the boil, blend in the cornflour and mix until smooth. Place in a squeezy bottle
  • 10g of cornflour
  • 200g of tomatoes
  • 2g of salt
13
To cook the tofu, heat a cast iron pan over a high heat with a dash of vegetable oil. Add the tofu cubes and cook until golden on the underside, then season the topside with tamari. Turn the tofu carefully and again add a few drops of tamari – you want the tofu to be nicely roasted and caramelised
  • 750g of tofu, semi-hard, cut into even blocks
  • tamari
14
To serve, place a roasted tofu cube in the centre of each plate, unwrap the flowers and carefully pack the parsley between the petals. Carefully place a flower on top of each block of tofu. Add a base of clear sauce to each plate, then swirl each different colour of sauce around the plate. Serve immediately

After discovering a passion for the macrobiotic diet, Sauro Ricci is now the head chef at Europe’s first ever Michelin-starred vegetarian restaurant.

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