Sizzling Tofu

Enjoy the bold flavors of sisig in vegetarian form! Sizzling Tofu is creamy, spicy, and delicious as an appetizer or main dish.

I am in the Philippines now to spend the holidays with my mom, and it's been a happy vacation. Along with spending quality time with her, I've been making regular rounds of my favorite Filipino restaurants, which means frequent visits to Max's.

Along with their iconic fried chicken, I've been trying out new items on their menu, and I have to say, their sizzling tofu is my favorite. It's creamy and spicy with tons of texture and flavor; what's not to love?

This vegetarian sisig is not only delicious, but it's also easy to make and budget-friendly with a simple list of ingredients. The seasonings are similar to my bangus sisig recipe but have added richness from a few dollops of mayo.

Ingredients

• Butter or oil- for sauteing
• Onions and garlic- these aromatics add texture and flavor
• Calamansi juice- to cut through the richness of the mayo and add a hint of tangy flavor
• Knorr seasoning sauce- for umami flavor. You can substitute soy sauce or oyster sauce if you like.
• Tofu- use firm tofu and not the soft or silken variety
• Bell peppers- use a mix of red and green for a more festive color
• Chili Peppers- Thai chili peppers (siling labuyo) and finger chili peppers (siling haba) to add a kick of spice
• Mayonnaise- for creaminess;

How to cook crispy tofu

Since the tofu is the show's star, the dish's success is cooking the tofu right.

1. Drain the tofu well of the packing liquid to ensure a nice crisp. Wrap the tofu block with a thick layer of paper towels, set it over a wire rack, and weigh it down with a saucer or bowl for about 15 to 20 minutes to extract moisture.
2. Cut in uniform size to ensure even cooking.
3. If pan-frying, swirl oil to coat the bottom of the pan thoroughly. Heat until oil begins to shimmer, and add tofu pieces in a single layer. Brown lightly before turning to prevent the tofu from falling apart.
4. If deep-frying, ensure the frying oil is of the proper temperature to prevent tofu from sticking and absorbing too much grease. Oil should be hot but not smoking, or tofu will burn before crisping. Use enough oil, so the tofu floats in the oil. Do not overcrowd the pan; allow enough room to toss the tofu in the oil to brown evenly.
5. Use a slotted spoon to remove from the pan and drain on a wire rack set over a baking sheet to catch oil drips.

How to serve

• Sizzling tofu sisig makes a tasty pulutan (appetizer) with your favorite hard drinks or as the main dish with steamed rice.
• Serve on a preheated cast-iron skillet or sizzling platter and garnish with sliced chili peppers.
• Unfortunately, due to the use of mayonnaise and the loss of texture over time, this vegetarian sisig doesn't reheat well and is best enjoyed freshly cooked.