Tofu with a kick

Yes, I’m a carnivore. But that doesn’t mean I can’t enjoy meatless meals now and again….

Golden brown and delicious, as Alton likes to say.

When “Good Eats” was in its original run — and I discovered it within its first few months — one of the first Alton Brown recipes I prepared was something Alton calls “Filet O’Fu.” You cut a block of extra firm tofu into slabs, squeeze the excess moisture out, replace it with a tasty marinade, and then pan-fry the tofu in a flour-and-egg coating to give it a nice brown crust.

Tofu, of course, is not known for its delicious, stand-alone flavor. It adds protein and texture to other dishes, and absorbs the flavor of marinades or sauces. Extra-firm tofu is basically a sort of vegan equivalent of hard-boiled egg white.

This recipe takes advantage of tofu’s tabula rasa. It’s obviously not a vegan recipe, due to the egg wash, but the coating gives a nice texture contrast and an appealing brown color.

I have been seeing Facebook ads for a kitchen gadget that presses the liquid out of tofu. It’s way overpriced and I’m not interested in buying it, but it did get me thinking about this dish.

Alton’s original recipe uses a marinade of worcestershire sauce, sherry vinegar and hot sauce to taste. Back when I made this a few times, years ago, I could not find sherry vinegar in…