This is a meat-free take on chicken Francese, a French dish consisting of battered chicken that is served with a lemony, buttery, and memorable sauce. In this dish, tofu is battered, then fried and served over a bed of pasta. Between the crisp tofu and the citrusy sauce, this dish is a real crowd-pleaser.
Tofu Francese [Vegan]
Ingredients
For the Tofu:
- 1 14-ounce package firm tofu, sliced
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 cup almond milk
- 3-4 tablespoons vegan egg replacer
- 1/2 lemon, juiced
- Salt and pepper, as desired
- 3-4 cups vegetable oil
For the Sauce:
- 1 tablespoon vegan butter
- 2 3/4 cups vegetable broth (reserve 1/4 cup)
- 1 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch mixed with 1 tablespoon of vegetable stock
- 1/2 cup vegan Parmesan
- 2-3 tablespoons lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons fresh parsley
For Serving:
- 4 servings cooked linguini
- Vegan Parmesan, for topping
Preparation
To Make the Tofu:
- Fill a small pot fill midway with vegetable oil. In a shallow bowl, combine flour, salt, and pepper. In a separate bowl combine lemon juice, vegan egg powder, and almond milk. Lightly drain tofu blocks with paper towels, slice, set aside.
- Lay out a cooling rack on top of paper towels.
- Once the oil is hot enough, you can test it by tossing in a small bit of something and wait for a sizzle, dredge in the vegan egg mixture, then the flour mixture; shake off excess and toss into the oil. Tofu patties should cook to a light brown in 2-3 minutes. Remove, set aside to drain any residual oil. Continue until all patties are done.
To Make the Sauce:
- In a medium saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add lemon juice and white wine (if desired). Add 2 3/4 cups of broth and parsley. Bring to a boil and stir for approximately 5 minutes. Combine remaining stock with 1 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch and stir together until the cornstarch is dissolved. Add the cornstarch mixture to the saucepan and stir constantly until sauce is slightly thickened.
To Serve:
- Toss the pasta in the sauce, top with the tofu patties, sliced lemons, parsley, and vegan Parmesan.
How much white wine?? It doesn\’t list it in the ingredients.
This is the 2nd email I have written about this. I have not had a response yet. When I click on the link in the newsletter, the article comes up with black blocks on it and I can\’t see some of the article. WHY?