Yakitori Tofu, Pineapple & Red Pepper Recipe
By Genevieve Taylor
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Easy
These sweet and sour kebabs start with a sticky marinade of soy, rice wine and sake that is great as a dipping sauce too, or for drizzling over steamed rice.You need to handle the tofu gently when you skewer it, as it’s delicate.
This recipe is extracted from Charred by Genevieve Taylor (Quadrille) Photography © Jason Ingram
Ingredients for tofu skewers
- 2 x 396g blocks of firm tofu (beancurd)
- 100ml soy sauce
- 100ml mirin
- 100ml sake
- 2.5cm piece of fresh root ginger, finely grated
- 2 tsp soft brown sugar
- 1 clove of garlic, crushed
- 1 tsp dried chilli flakes
- 2 (bell) peppers, cut into 3–4cm pieces
- ½ medium fresh pineapple, cut into 1cm thick pieces about the size of the pepper pieces
- a little vegetable oil, for oiling the grill
- 3 spring onions , sliced, to garnish
You also need
- 6–8 kebab skewers
Method for tofu skewers
- Press the tofu to squeeze out the excess liquid as in this tofu burger recipe.
- Once the tofu has finished pressing, put the soy sauce, mirin, sake, ginger, soft brown sugar, garlic and chilli flakes into a small pan and set over a medium heat. Bring to the boil and simmer for about 10–15 minutes, until reduced in volume by about half.
- Pour half into a mixing bowl and the other half into a little bowl to serve as a dipping sauce.
- Add the peppers and pineapple to the sauce in the mixing bowl and toss to coat. Cut the pressed tofu into 4cm (1 ½ inch) cubes and add to the bowl, stirring gently to coat them in the marinade. Set aside for 1 hour.
- While the tofu is marinating, fire up your barbecue ready for direct grilling or preheat a griddle pan on the hob. Just before you cook the kebabs, brush the grill lightly with a little vegetable oil to prevent any potential sticking, using a silicon brush or a couple of sheets of scrunched-up kitchen paper.
- Thread the tofu, pineapple and peppers alternately on to the skewers. Grill for about 20 minutes, turning a few times so they cook evenly, basting with any remaining marinade as they cook. Use a fish slice to help release the kebabs from the grill as they can be prone to sticking a little.
- Serve immediately, sprinkled with the spring onions and the reserved sauce drizzled over.
About the author
Genevieve Taylor, a BBQ and live fire expert, has penned thirteen cookbooks, including bestsellers like 'Charred,' a vegetarian BBQ guide, 'The Ultimate Wood Fired Oven Cookbook' and 'Foolproof BBQ.' An omnivore, she challenges the typical meat-centric BBQ narrative. Her latest hit, 'Seared,' focuses on quality meat and fire. Her upcoming release, 'Scorched' (Spring 2024), will complete a trilogy dedicated to cooking fish and seafood over fire.
