Poached Tofu, Enoki Mushroom, Thai Basil

This is not a traditional dish. My goal with this recipe was to produce a thai court bouillon in which to poach—to cook quickly in a gently simmering liquid—enoki mushrooms and thai basil, aiming to preserve the subtle flavors and delicate textures.

Poached Tofu, Enoki Mushroom, Thai Basil

Enoki (also enokitake) are long, thin mushrooms with a tiny white cap prized in both Chinese and Japanese cuisine. They have a mild, fruity flavor, with only a hint of mushroominess. Unlike most funghi, they are excellent raw, with a slight crisp and delicate texture. If cooking, extreme care must be taken not to overcook—enoki quickly become chewy and stringy. In this dish, we add them at the very last second.

When purchasing enoki, demand fresh, not canned, specimens. Usually sold in presealed bags, look for bright white stalks with firm, intact caps, devoid of slime. To store, keep in the refrigerator up to 5-6 days in the unopened plastic bag until ready to use. To prepare, cut the bottom inch or two off of the stalk, separating the more tender upper stalk from the dirty base. Pull the mushrooms apart (the stalks tend to join together). Wipe clean with a damp paper towel.

Enoki Mushroom

Thai basil is a cultivar of the common sweet basil, Ocimum basilicum. Compared to sweet basil, thai basil sports smaller leaves, with purple stems and purplish-red accents to the green leaves. Known as horapa in Thailand, the herb is found in both Thai and Vietnamese cooking. Thai basil has a distinctive savory taste, with a pure anise note. It is great both cooked into sauces and curries and raw as a garnish; thus this recipe uses it both ways. Thai basil should not be confused with Thai holy basil, kha phrao, which is a different species than sweet basil.

Thai Basil

Makes 2 large servings or 4 smaller.

Ingredients:

2.5 cups Chinese chicken stock (recipe)
4 teaspoons light soy sauce
1 tablespoon thai roasted red chili paste (nam prik pao), store bought or homemade (recipe)
1 teaspoon thai-style sun-ripened hot sauce, such as Sriracha
1 teaspoon rice vinegar
1 pound firm tofu, cut into 1" cubes
1 large stalk lemongrass, white part cut into two 2" slices
2 teaspoons palm sugar
1/4 pound enoki mushrooms (enokitake), bottom 1-2" inches trimmed
9 scallions, dark green tops only, sliced
1 cup whole plus 3/4 cup chiffonaded thai basil (horapa)
3 tablespoons arrowroot
sea salt, to taste

In a small mixing bowl, combine the Chinese chicken stock, light soy sauce, thai roasted red chili paste, hot sauce, and rice vinegar. Stir well. Taste and adjust sea salt. Measure out 1/4 cup and place in the refrigerator to cool.

Place the tofu cubes in a small saucepan. Cover with 1 cup of the prepared liquid. Add water or more Chinese chicken stock to cover the tofu as needed. Bring to a simmer. Lower heat to a gentle simmer and poach until the tofu is soft and infused with flavor, about 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, place the remainder of the prepared liquid in a large saute pan. Bring to a simmer. Add the lemongrass and palm sugar. Simmer until the sugar is dissolved and the liquid is just slightly reduced, about 5 minutes.

Drain the tofu cubes and add to the saute pan. Gently stir to coat.

Add the enoki mushrooms, scallions, and whole basil. Stir.

Combine the 1/4 cup cold prepared liquid with arrowroot. Whisk together until incorporated. Slowly, add half of the arrowroot slurry. Mix gently but thoroughly. Let simmer for 30 seconds. If the sauce is not yet thick and glossy, slowly add the remaining arrowroot slurry. Let simmer for 30 more seconds.

Plated

To serve, place a large scoop of chive-infused jasmine rice in the middle of a plate. Divide the contents of the saute pan among your dishes.

Garnished and ready to serve

Garnish with the chiffonaded thai basil. Optionally, arrange a thai basil flower decoratively on the plate. Serve immediately. Pairs well with a floral Alsatian Pinot gris from the Alsace Grand Cru AOC.