Here is part two of my 2-part series on making Banh Mi for a holiday (or some other kind of) party. Now that you have your baguettes fresh from the oven, it's time to top them and eat! This recipe makes a lot, so if it is just for you, cut the tofu and marinade in half. You can get away with marinading the tofu, and picking the carrot/daikon, for a few hours, but it all tastes better if you make it the day before. You will have some tofu left over, so just save it for tomorrow.
INGREDIENTS
- 2 pkgs of firm tofu, cut into 16 slices each
Marinade
- 1/2 cup light soy sauce
- 1/4 cup sesame oil
- 1/4 cup fresh lime juice
- 2 tbsp rice vinegar
- 2 tsp Sriracha
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tbsp mined fresh ginger
Carrot-Daikon Pickle
Double the recipe if you like lots of pickle
- 1 cup white vinegar
- 1 cup water
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 3/4 tsp minced fresh ginger
- 11oz grated carrot (about 1 1/3 cup)
- 11oz grated daikon (about 1 1/3 cup)
- 1 whole star anise
- sliced cucumber (I use a vegetable peeler to get long, thin slices)
- Vegenaise
- chopped cilantro (optional)
METHOD
Prep the Tofu
1. Whisk together the marinade ingredients. You can mash the garlic and ginger together with a mortar and pestle if you desire. Place sliced tofu in a large baking dish and pour marinade over. It is OK to stack pieces of tofu on top of one another--just make sure there is marinade between the slices. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
Make the Pickle
1. Bring vinegar, water, and sugar to boil in a saucepan. Add ginger, carrot, and daikon, and bring back to boiling. Remove from heat and add the star anise. Pour into a large glass jar, and bring to room temperature. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
Bake the Tofu
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Adjust oven racks so you can bake two baking sheets at a time.
2. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Place 16 pieces of tofu on each sheet. Brush generously with the marinade.
3. Bake for 10 mins, then flip tofu and brush generously with marinade. Switch the rack that the sheets are on, and bake for another 10-15 mins. Tofu should be dry and slightly crisp on the edges.
Assemble the Sandwiches and Serve
1. Cut baguettes horizontally. Spread Vegenaise liberally on the inside (not traditional, I know, but I like it). Top with tofu (I like to overlap the tofu 1/2 on the piece underneath instead of side by side). Top with sliced cucumber, and then with drained pickle. Top with chopped cilantro, if desired.
2. Slice each baguette into 8-10 pieces each and serve.
