Vegetarian mains
Teriyaki tofu bowl with pak choi, shiitake, peanuts & poached egg
This is a bowl of contrasting textures. Sticky dark mushrooms, crisp roasted tofu with a melting centre, crunchy pak choi and a rich egg yolk; all tethered by a comforting rice base. With organisation all elements should mesh harmoniously.
Cook's notes
Although a seemingly simple task, the poaching of an egg has a few strict rules; 1. Add vinegar to the water, it helps set the egg whites a little faster. 2. Keep the water just below a simmer, a boiling pan will break up the whites. 3. Don't drop the eggs in from a great height, they will just spread and splay as they hit the bottom. 4. Don't poke and prod them too much, leave it well alone until you need to test or tease them from the pan.
Ingredients
- 200g jasmine rice
- 200g marinated tofu
- 200ml tin coconut milk
- 1 chilli
- 1 garlic clove
- 2 large spring onions or 1 small red onion
- plain oil e.g. sunflower
- 1 pak choi
- 30g salted peanuts
- 1 tbsp rice vinegar
- 150g shiitake mushrooms
- 2 tbsp sesame oil
- 2 tbsp teriyaki sauce
- 2 eggs
- 1 tsp sesame seeds
- salt and pepper
Method
-
Step 1
Preheat oven to 200°C/Gas Mark 5. Rinse the rice in the sieve under cold running water. Cut the tofu into evenly sized 1½ cm cubes. Empty the coconut milk into the saucepan. Fill the empty tin with water and add that too. Season with a pinch of salt and bring to a simmer.
-
Step 2
Tip the rinsed rice into the simmering coconut milk, stir once and cover. Simmer very gently for 20 minutes, until the liquid has absorbed and the rice is tender. Meanwhile, deseed and finely chop the chilli. Peel and finely slice the garlic clove.
-
Step 3
Trim and very finely slice the spring onions or red onion. Spread the diced tofu on to a baking tray and turn in just enough oil to lightly coat. Sprinkle with salt. Pop into the oven to bake for 15 minutes. Turn once halfway through. Wash the pak choi and cut away the root end. Strip the leaves away from the stalks.
-
Step 4
Finely slice the stalks. Roughly chop the leaves. Coarsely chop the salted peanuts. Fill the second saucepan with salted water and bring to a gentle simmer. Add the rice vinegar to the water. Leave on the gentlest of simmers while you deal with the mushrooms.
-
Step 5
Slice or tear the mushrooms into chunky pieces and heat half the sesame oil in a wok or frying pan until nearly smoking hot. Add the mushrooms and fry them until well coloured and dark, about 4-5 minutes. Add the garlic to the mushrooms and fry for 1 further minute before adding the teriyaki sauce.
-
Step 6
Remove from the heat and stir together. Keep the mushrooms to one side and give the wok or frying pan a quick wipe clean. Crack the eggs gently into the pan of water (see cook's notes). Poach at a faint simmer for 3-4 minutes, until the whites are set and the yolks are still runny.
-
Step 7
Remove with a slotted spoon. Meanwhile return the wok to the heat and add the remaining sesame oil. Add the pak choi stalks and fry on a high heat for 1 minute. Add the leaves, onion, chopped chilli and sesame seeds. Fry for another 30 seconds or so until the leaves have just wilted.
-
Step 8
Divide the rice between 2 bowls and make a shallow indent in the top of each. Place the poached eggs in the hollow and surround them with the tofu, mushrooms and pak choi. Scatter over the chopped peanuts.