Recipe - Szechuan Inspired Caramelised Cabbage & Spicy Tofu

You've never tasted cabbage like this before

Cabbage is one of the most common, humble & affordable veggies in household kitchens. Its often overlooked as a main event, yet give it a good hit of heat and caramelisation and we see it transform into an incredible rockstar with the most incredible flavour - sweet & meaty - as well as that buttery texture that almost melts!

To get this texture and transform the cabbage into something spectacular, roasting had always been my go-to for years but now I turn to the stove top and frying pan to caramelise wedges of it which speeds up getting dinner on the table and is a bit less taxing on the power bill. By covering the pan with a lid while the cabbage wedges sauté, it helps to cook the cabbage faster & gives a better caramelisation with the little steam/oven in the pan. This method is the same method I use for cooking crispy skin fish in a pan on the stove at home. The lid aids both the flesh to cook evenly and faster and somehow helps to create an incredible caramelisation.

Onto the tofu. Now nothing is worse than bland boring tofu, so I love to crumble it up (you get it to go further) so it can really soak up more flavour and make sure those flavours are punchy! sweet, sour spicy & umami rich. It’s a great way to use it for stir fries and fried rice dishes.

Getting Ahead - both the cabbage and tofu can be cooked well in advance, an hour or two and reheated when needed. They also make for great leftovers and reheat really well over the next couple of days.

Cabbage - Cauliflower or Eggplant - make for great veggies to cook and serve this way. Cooking times may vary slightly so adjust as you go or use the oven 220C 20-25 minutes for a pretty damn good result.

Tofu - you could try a mince like pork, chicken or beef. Mushrooms, finely chopped, also work well as does chopped raw prawns or mix of pork and prawns or tofu and prawns.

Crispy Chili Oil - Try and find this! Most supermarkets in Australia now stock it and Asian stores will have a version. Failing that, you can make your own or sub in a chili sauce that you like. If you want to make a mild version, simply replace that component with a little extra oyster and soy sauce.

Oyster Sauce - Hoi sin is a great substitute here or even a black bean sauce.

Soy Sauce - Tamari can be used if preferred. Gluten free version of these sauces also are perfectly fine.

Black Vinegar - I am addicted to black vinegar, its has a rich, sharp, caramelised flavour that is intoxicating! If you can’t find it, you could use a standard rice vinegar.

Szechuan Inspired Caramelised Cabbage & Spicy Tofu

Serves 4 with steamed rice

Ingredients

1/2 large white cabbage cut into 4 wedges, keeping the core intact