egg dipped tofu

seriously tasty dooboo boochim.

dooboo boochim can be found at many a delectable eatery in k-town. it's nothing like the conventional "fried tofu" on chinese menus- the egg makes it surprisingly delicious, but the real star of this recipe is the sauce. it's magical- and i always assumed unattainable, until spying this amazing recipe at mykoreanfood.com. it wasn't exactly what i'm familiar with, but close enough to elaborate on. first, the tofu:

extra firm. drained well, wrapped with paper towels, and then for extra measure, pressed under a pan.

let it sit under the pan while making the magical sauce. speaking sauce...

it contains a magical ingredient. gochujang- korean hot pepper paste. no kidding- it is spicy. good news though, you don't need much to get the flavor. like most asian sauces, this one has quite a few ingredients. it takes that many to achieve the crazy complexity, and you'll know it why when you taste it.

back to the tofu. after cutting it in half diagonally, slice each into thirds. after that, all it takes is a quick dip in some scrambled eggs, and they're ready to go.

dooboo boochim. seriously. it's attainable.

dooboo boochim (egg dipped tofu):

adapted from mykoreanfood.com

• 1 block of extra firm tofu, drained
• 2 eggs, scrambled in a wide dish (that will accomodate the tofu slices laying flat in it), with a pinch of salt
• sesame oil
• 3 Tablespoon tamari
• 1 teaspoon rice wine vinegar (brown rice vinegar is great)
• 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
• 1 teaspoon honey
• 1 teaspoon gluten free worcestershire sauce (try making your own!)
• gochujyan, to taste
• sliced scallion
• sesame seeds

preparation:

• wrap tofu block in paper towels. place on a cutting board and top with a frying pan. let sit while you fix the sauce.
• combine the tamari, vinegar, toasted sesame oil, honey, worcestershire, and gochujyan. whisk together until thoroughly combined. mix in the scallions and seeds. set aside while cooking the tofu.
• add the first 3 slices of tofu to the eggs. get a good coating of egg on both sides.
• heat up a pan, screaming hot, over high heat. add a glug of sesame oil, and the dipped tofu slices. cook on the first side until golden brown (about 5 minutes, or so). flip, and cook on the reverse side about the same amount of time. transfer to paper towels, to absorb a bit of the oil. move to a plate and cover with the sauce.

makes 6 slices of tofu