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blackened tofu caesar salad

blackened tofu in a cast iron skillet

The caesar salad comes from the gorgeous Zuni Cafe Cookbook. The blackened tofu is mine, all mine.

I’ll do my best to write coherent instructions for it. I’m new to the whole writing-recipes-for-other-people thing. Most of my personal recipes look like this:

my recipe book

Help!

Now cleanse your peepers with this:

blackened tofu caesar salad

Ahhhh.

the recipe

Croutons

  • a 6 ounce chunk 170 g day-old chewy bread, such as sourdough
  • 2-3 tablespoons 30–45 mL mild olive oil
  • salt, to taste
  1. Cut the bread into 1/2-inch (1 cm) cubes, toss with oil to coat, sprinkle with salt to taste, toss again and spread on a sheet pan.
  2. Toast, tossing cubes once or twice, until golden brown all over, around 10 minutes. The crouton should be slightly tender in the center. Let cool on pan.
a 6 ounce chunk 170 g day-old chewy bread, such as sourdough
2-3 tablespoons 30–45 mL mild olive oil
salt, to taste
cube & season
toast 10 min

each column is one step, working left to right — hover a cell for the full instruction

Croutons
  • a 6 ounce chunk 170 g day-old chewy bread, such as sourdough
  • 2-3 tablespoons 30–45 mL mild olive oil
  • salt, to taste

Cut the bread into 1/2-inch (1 cm) cubes, toss with oil to coat, sprinkle with salt to taste, toss again and spread on a sheet pan.

Toast, tossing cubes once or twice, until golden brown all over, around 10 minutes. The crouton should be slightly tender in the center. Let cool on pan.

Caesar Dressing

  • 1 tablespoon 15 mL red wine vinegar
  • 2/3 cup 160 mL mild olive oil
  • 2 teaspoons 10 mL garlic, chopped
  • a few pinches salt
  • 2 large 100 g cold, fresh eggs
  • 3 ounces 85 g parmigiano-reggiano, grated, about 1 1/2 cups lightly packed
  • black pepper
  • 3 tablespoons 45 mL lemon juice
  1. Whisk together vinegar, oil, salt and garlic.
  2. Add eggs, a few sprinkles of the parmesan, reserving the rest for garnish, and lots of pepper. Whisk to emulsify.
  3. Add lemon juice and whisk again.
1 tablespoon 15 mL red wine vinegar
2/3 cup 160 mL mild olive oil
2 teaspoons 10 mL garlic, chopped
a few pinches salt
2 large 100 g cold, fresh eggs
3 ounces 85 g parmigiano-reggiano, grated, about 1 1/2 cups lightly packed
black pepper
3 tablespoons 45 mL lemon juice
whisk base
emulsify
add lemon juice

each column is one step, working left to right — hover a cell for the full instruction

Caesar Dressing
  • 1 tablespoon 15 mL red wine vinegar
  • 2/3 cup 160 mL mild olive oil
  • 2 teaspoons 10 mL garlic, chopped
  • a few pinches salt
  • 2 large 100 g cold, fresh eggs
  • 3 ounces 85 g parmigiano-reggiano, grated, about 1 1/2 cups lightly packed
  • black pepper
  • 3 tablespoons 45 mL lemon juice

Whisk together vinegar, oil, salt and garlic.

Add eggs, a few sprinkles of the parmesan, reserving the rest for garnish, and lots of pepper. Whisk to emulsify.

Add lemon juice and whisk again.

Blackened Tofu

  • Heat a skillet, preferably cast iron, over medium-high heat
  • 1 pound 450 g firm or extra firm tofu, well drained and cut into 1/2-inch (1 cm) slabs
  • blackened seasoning
  • soy sauce
  1. Add a swirl of oil to the pan, then slabs of tofu in a single layer. Fry, turning occasionally, until the tofu is a nice golden brown.
  2. Sprinkle one side liberally with seasoning, then turn and cook for a couple of minutes. Repeat with other side.
  3. Sprinkle a couple of tablespoons of soy sauce over the tofu and cook until absorbed.
  4. Transfer tofu to a cutting board and cut into strips. Let cool.
Heat a skillet, preferably cast iron, over medium-high heat
1 pound 450 g firm or extra firm tofu, well drained and cut into 1/2-inch (1 cm) slabs
blackened seasoning
soy sauce
fry tofu
blacken
add soy sauce
slice & cool

each column is one step, working left to right — hover a cell for the full instruction

Blackened Tofu
  • 1 pound 450 g firm or extra firm tofu, well drained and cut into 1/2-inch (1 cm) slabs
  • blackened seasoning
  • soy sauce

Heat a skillet, preferably cast iron, over medium-high heat.

Add a swirl of oil to the pan, then slabs of tofu in a single layer. Fry, turning occasionally, until the tofu is a nice golden brown.

Sprinkle one side liberally with seasoning, then turn and cook for a couple of minutes. Repeat with other side.

Sprinkle a couple of tablespoons of soy sauce over the tofu and cook until absorbed.

Transfer tofu to a cutting board and cut into strips. Let cool.

Assembly

  • 2-3 heads about 680 g usable leaves romaine lettuce, to yield 1 1/2 pounds of usable leaves
  • caesar dressing (from above)
  • remaining parmigiano-reggiano (from above)
  • croutons (from above)
  • blackened tofu, cut into strips (from above)
  1. To put the salad together you'll need 2-3 heads of romaine lettuce, to yield 1 1/2 pounds (680 g) of usable leaves. Toss romaine with dressing and remaining cheese, then croutons and serve topped with strips of blackened tofu.
2-3 heads about 680 g usable leaves romaine lettuce, to yield 1 1/2 pounds of usable leaves
caesar dressing (from above)
remaining parmigiano-reggiano (from above)
croutons (from above)
blackened tofu, cut into strips (from above)
toss & serve

each column is one step, working left to right — hover a cell for the full instruction

Assembly
  • 2-3 heads about 680 g usable leaves romaine lettuce, to yield 1 1/2 pounds of usable leaves
  • caesar dressing (from above)
  • remaining parmigiano-reggiano (from above)
  • croutons (from above)
  • blackened tofu, cut into strips (from above)

To put the salad together you'll need 2-3 heads of romaine lettuce, to yield 1 1/2 pounds (680 g) of usable leaves. Toss romaine with dressing and remaining cheese, then croutons and serve topped with strips of blackened tofu.

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