What you will need: Ingredients plus equipment for the following three recipes:

1. Grilled Peaches with Silken Tofu and Thai Basil and Lime Leaf Gremolata

Ingredients:

6 ripe peaches, stoned and cut into wedges
1 x 349g block tofu
1 tablespoon cold pressed rapeseed oil, plus extra to drizzle
sea salt
1 long red chilli, sliced on the diagonal
a handful of salted toasted cashew nuts
1 small bunch of coriander, including stalks
1 bunch Thai basil
8 limeleaves, stalks removed
1 birds eye chilli
The zest and juice of one lime
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon pineapple juice
1 teaspoon soft brown sugar
60ml cold pressed rapeseed oil

Equipment:

Small paring knife
Bowls
Chopping board
Blender / food processor
Microplane zester
Measuring spoons
Griddle pan
Tongs
Rubber spatula
Platter to serve

Method:

Begin by making the tofu cream. Place the tofu on a wire rack and cover it with kitchen paper and place a weight on it for half an hour to extract some of the liquid. Now break it up and place it in a food processor with the rapeseed oil and some sea salt and blend till smooth. Empty into a bowl and set aside.

Clean out the food processor and use to make the gremolata by simply whizzing together all the ingredients until you have a coarse dressing.

Heat a griddle pan over a high heat. Drizzle the peaches with a little oil and then grill cut side down, turning after thirty seconds or until they have char marks.

To serve the salad, spoon the tofu cream over a plate and then lay over the peaches. Drizzle over the gremolata and finally scatter over the red chilli. Serve immediately.

2. Cold Silken Tofu with Black Vinegar Dressing

Ingredients:

1 block silken tofu cut into 1.5cm slices
25g roasted salted peanuts, roughly chopped
1 spring onion, finely sliced
1 teaspoon ground Sichuan peppercorns
Crispy shallots
Coriander Cress
Purple Shiso Cress
Puffed Rice

Ingredients for the dressing:

30g Laoganma crispy chilli oil
1.5 tbsp light soy sauce
3 teaspoons Chiankang vinegar
3 teaspoons mirin
1.5 teaspoons rice vinegar
1.5 teaspoons ginger, finely grated
1 teaspoon caster sugar

Equipment:

Chopping board
Large chef’s knife
Mixing bowl or jar for dressing
Scales
Pestle and mortar
Serving bowl – like a pasta bowl for this would be excellent

Method:

Stir together rice vinegar, sugar and salt and pour over chillies. Reserve in a sterilized jar.

To make the dressing, whisk together all the ingredients.

Lay the tofu in a bowl and pour over the dressing and top with remaining ingredients.

3. Caramel Braised Tofu

Ingredients:

One block of extra firm tofu
Rapeseed oil to deepfry

Ingredients for the caramel sauce:

250g soft brown sugar
30ml red wine vinegar
50 ml light soy sauce
1 tablespoon black Chinese vinegar
25g chilli bean paste
a thumb of grated ginger
3- 4 cloves grated garlic
1 teaspoon Sichuan peppercorns
1 birdseye green chilli, finely chopped
Serve with Steamed Jasmine Rice and garnish with:

30g toasted sesame seeds
crispy fried shallots
Asian cress such as coriander cress or shiso cress or a mixture

Equipment:

Knife
Chopping board
Heavy based pan for making caramel
Deep fat fryer or wok to fry it
Serving bowl
Sauce pan to cook rice
Spatula / wooden spoon
Slotted spoon
Pasta bowls to serve in.

Method:

Place the tofu on a wire rack and cover it with kitchen paper for half an hour to extract some of the liquid.

To make the caramel add the sugar 400ml of water and cook over a medium heat until the sugar dissolves into an amber caramel. Add the vinegars, garlic, chillies, ginger, chilli bean paste and stir to combine.

Deep fry tofu for 4 -5 minutes till it is golden brown. Add tofu back into the pan and coat in caramel.

Serve garnished with sesame seeds, crispy onions and coriander cress.

Three ways to make tofu tasty