Seriously Delicious Marinated Tofu

🥘 Ingredients

• extra-firm tofu 1
• soy sauce or tamari 2 tbsp
• toasted sesame oil 2 tbsp
• organic brown sugar 2 ½ tbsp
• rice vinegar 1 ½ tbsp
• Chinese five spice powder 1 tsp
• white pepper ½ tsp
• garlic powder ½ tsp
• ground ginger ¼ tsp
• A
• arrowroot powder 1 tbsp

1. 1

   Gather: extra-firm tofu . For the marinade: soy sauce or tamari , toasted sesame oil , organic brown sugar , rice vinegar , Chinese five spice powder , white pepper , garlic powder , ground ginger , A pinch of kosher salt. For the for finishing:: arrowroot powder .
2. 2

   For defrosted tofu: Over the sink, gently squeeze the block tofu with both of your palms to extract as much water as you can but don’t squeeze so hard that you crumble it. For regular (non-thawed) tofu: Skip this step, as the tofu might crumble.
3. 3

   Slice the tofu vertically into 4 slabs. For defrosted tofu: You can press it for 5-10 minutes (see the instructions for regular tofu), or you can simply press down on each slab with a dry towel to remove a lot of the water (almost as if you're giving the tofu slab CPR!). For regular tofu: Cover the slabs with a thin dish towel or paper towels, weigh down the tofu with a heavy cookbook, and press it for 10 minutes.
4. 4

   Meanwhile, combine the Marinade ingredients in a jar and shake until well combined (NOTE: this does NOT include the arrowroot powder).
5. 5

   Slice each tofu slab vertically in half, so you have 8 slabs. Now slice each slab into ¾-inch ( timer cm) cubes.
6. 6

   Add the tofu to a quart-sized ziploc bag. Pour the Marinade on top and toss gently to coat, shaking the bag back and forth. Cover and marinate in the fridge for at least 30 minutes, or up to 4 hours, flipping the bag over a few times (at least twice during 1 hour) to distribute the marinade evenly.
7. 7

   Arrange a rack in the middle or bottom third of the oven and preheat to 425ºF / 220ºC. Line a rimmed sheet pan with parchment paper.
8. 8

   Add the arrowroot powder to the marinated tofu in the bag and seal. Toss and massage gently to coat. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the tofu to the pan and spread out in a single layer, leaving behind any extra marinade.
9. 9

   Bake for 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and flip the tofu. I use my hands to make it easiest, but be careful! Rotate the pan by 180º for even heating and return to the oven, and bake for 10-13 minutes , or until the tofu is nicely browned (a few blackened spots are okay).
10. 10

    Rest for 5 minutes . The tofu will be rather soft when it comes out of the oven, but after resting for 5 minutes, it will crisp up.