korean style crispy tofu

Although I think growing up with a Korean mom makes me somewhat bias towards tofu, I really do love the stuff and I can't understand why it has such a bad reputation!  It is such a versatile ingredient and can really take on the flavor of just about anything when prepped properly.

Today's recipe is a crispy tofu featuring a sweet and spicy sticky sauce from a Korean rice cake dish called dduk-bok-ki.  This tofu is definitely not a traditional Korean dish, but how can you go wrong combining a basically flavorless ingredient and an amazing sauce?!

Crispy tofu can be a little tricky to nail, but as long as you follow the steps to properly drain the tofu, you'll be quickly wondering why you've never tried it before.  I usually eat this as side dish (called banchan in Korean) served alongside rice, soup, and other banchans for breakfast, lunch, snack, and/or dinner.  I'm pretty much saying you can eat tofu any time of the day. :)  

WHAT YOU'LL NEED

• 1 lb. package of firm (or extra firm) tofu
• 2 tablespoons of Korean hot red pepper paste (gochujang)
• 2 tablespoons of soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons of water
• 1/2 tablespoon of Korean red pepper powder (gochugaru)
• 2 tablespoons of honey or agave nectar to make it vegan
  
• 2 green onions, sliced
• 1 teaspoon of roasted sesame seeds

HOW TO MAKE IT

1. Remove tofu from packaging and cut into bite-size pieces
2. Take a large absorbent and towel and lay the tofu on half of the towel ensuring the second half can be folded over to cover the tofu.  
3. Place something relatively heavy on the tofu.  I first put a cutting board over all the pieces and then use my cast iron skillet to weigh it all down.  Leave this to sit and drain for 30 minutes.
4. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F and prep your baking sheet with parchment paper.
5. Bake tofu for 30 minutes, flipping the pieces over halfway.
6. While the tofu is baking/crisping up in the oven, make the sauce by combining the gochujang, soysauce, water, gochugaru, honey and half of the sliced green onions in a large mixing bowl.
7. Once the tofu is done baking, let it cool for a few minutes and then mix the pieces into the sauce.  Set this aside for at least 30 minutes (if I have time/am prepping this ahead of time I let this sit for a few hours in an airtight container in the refrigerator) to marinade to give the tofu some extra flavor.
8. With tongs, add the individual pieces of tofu to a skillet over medium heat.  Spoon a few tablespoons of the sauce into the skillet, just enough to coat the tofu.  The sauce will thicken to a very sticky consistency so be sure to keep an eye on the tofu so they don't burn. 
9. Cook for 3-5 minutes in the pan, remove from heat and onto a plate, drizzle extra marinade on top, sprinkle some green onions, and add a pinch of roasted sesame seeds to complete the dish.  You're now ready to enjoy!

Happy eating!