1.
Cut the carrot, pepper, tomatoes, green onions, and onion into strips. Vegetables may vary – use your favorites or whatever you have on hand
2.
Turn on the heat and add a good amount of olive oil. Add three crushed garlic cloves, the black peppercorns, the allspice, the ginger, and the coriander seeds. Again, use the spices that you fancy or have at home
3.
Add two orange peels and the bay leaves, and the dried sage
4.
Add the vegetables and sauté. Add more olive oil, salt, and peppe
5.
When the vegetables are cooked but al dente, add smoked paprika and, after a few seconds so that it does not burn, add a cup of white wine and 1/3 cup of sherry wine vinegar
6.
Add the cherry tomatoes or chopped tomatoes and lower the heat to a minimum
7.
Cut the tofu into fairly thick strips, press it well
8.
Add the port wine to the marinate. Turn off the heat
9.
Fill a third of a glass jar with the marinade, place the tofu on top and cover with more marinade until the container is full, add the fresh herb of your choice, I have used a sprig of rosemary but fresh thyme is also great. This way it will keep for weeks; the longer the tofu is in the marinade, the more flavor
10.
MAKE THE PAN-SEARED TOFU ESCABECHE RECIPE:
11.
Cut the potatoes into thick slices and boil them in a pot with water and salt
12.
In a pan, over medium heat, add the olive oil from the escabeche olive oil, add the tofu and sear it until all its faces are golden brown. Do the same with the potatoes.
13.
On a plate, place a base of potatoes, followed by the tofu and some of the escabeche vegetables.
14.
Season with salt and pepper, add a touch of freshly squeezed lemon juice, and finish with a little liquid from the escabeche.
15.
CHEF'S TIP:
16.
When the tofu is gone and all you have is some of the delicious escabeche marinate and some of the marinated vegetables, you can add it to a blender along with a few slices of toasted or stale bread, a tiny bit of water, and blend it until smooth and drizzle it on top of a salad, or a bowl of rice or as a dip for your vegetables or fries!