Fennel Baked Tofu

Want to make your kitchen  smell like a distillery? Try my fennel baked tofu recipe. I served this with linguine, sautéed courgettes, rainbow carrots, preserved lemon, and a handful of mint. I skipped alliums altogether-something I hardly ever do, That was a good call.

The dinner went over well, as there were no leftovers (which I was planning on, but eh, whatever).

Fennel Baked Tofu:

1 block extra firm tofu
1 heaping tablespoon fennel seed
2 tablespoons salad oil (I used sunflower as I wanted a neutral flavor)
1 teaspoon cider vinegar
1 tablespoon Golden Syrup (or honey)
1 1/2 teaspoons coarse salt (OR 1 teaspoon table salt)

Cut tofu into fourths. Press between kitchen towels until mostly dry. Grind fennel seed into a fine powder. In a small bowl (or measuring glass) combine everything but tofu. Mix well. Place in a heatproof casserole dish (I prefer to use glass, or ceramic when cooking with vinegar, but that's probably a hold over from when most pans were aluminum). Add the tofu, turning to coat all sides. You can marinate this up to a day ahead, but I don't find it makes much difference. Bake at 400 degrees F. for 30 minutes. Turn the tofu and bake another 30-40 minutes or until nicely browned.

The tofu will keep for a few days, tightly wrapped in cling film, and makes a delicious cold sandwich.