Gochujang Satay Sauce
This one was a staple in my final year of uni — and honestly, once you try it, you'll see why. Smoky gochujang, creamy peanut butter, fresh chilli and lime, all wrapped around tofu that actually has texture and flavour.
Step 1: Freeze the tofu
Take the tofu straight out of the packet and freeze it for a minimum of 2 days — the longer you leave it, the better the texture. This creates little holes throughout which open up even further when boiled, making it far more absorbent.
Step 2: Boil and salt bath
Once defrosted, boil the tofu for 10 minutes then transfer straight into a bowl of cold salted water. This firms it up and seasons it from the inside.
Step 3: Prepare the tofu
Cut the tofu into cubes. You don't have to fry it — add it straight to the sauce. If you want more texture, shallow fry until golden brown then set aside on a paper towel.
Step 4: Prepare the garlic and chillies
Finely slice the garlic and chillies into strips and set aside.
Step 5: Fry the garlic, chillies and gochujang
Heat a little oil in the pan. Add the gochujang to one side and the garlic and chillies to the other, making sure they're sitting in the oil as the gochujang will absorb a lot of it.
Step 6: Add the peanut butter
After 30-60 seconds, add the peanut butter — roughly a 2:1 ratio of peanut butter to gochujang. Once the garlic starts to crisp, mix everything together with a splash of water and the soy sauce and let it reduce down.
Step 7: Finish the sauce
When the sauce is at the thickness you want, add the lime juice and rice vinegar and leave for a minute. Toss in the tofu and it's ready.