Tofu Teriyaki and Fiddleheads

For the empty of pocket and hungry for company, Soho provides an unrivaled range of greasy spoons, soup joints, quick-fix taquerias, noodle-shops, and usquah bars. Some of these are ptomaine heavens; most of them pride themselves on serving decent, cheap food; some of them are magnificent. This kind of operation tends to have the lifespan of a mayfly, but enduring favorites are the Hard Luck Cafe on the west end of Ho (watch the blackboard for Stone Soup of the Day), Chaz’N’Chang’s at 24 Ison Street (Tofu Teriyaki and fiddleheads)...

from The Essential Bordertown, pg. 146

Fiddlehead season is almost over here, so I figured I should get this recipe out there while you still have a chance of catching those tasty wild greens.

Tofu Teriyaki and Fiddleheads

• 1/2 cup soy sauce
• 1/2 cup mirin or sake
• 2 tbsp honey
• 1 tsp sesame oil
• fresh grated ginger to taste
• 1 lb extra firm tofu

• 3 big handfuls of fiddleheads
• 1/3 cup rice vinegar
• 3 Tbsp sugar
• 1 tsp salt

• 1 cup basmati rice
• 2 cups water or vegetable stock
  
• 1 tsp your favorite curry powder

For the tofu:
Combine soy sauce, mirin or sake, honey, sesame oil and ginger in a saucepan. Stir the mixture, place on medium heat and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer until marinade is reduced and thickened to a syrup consistency. Refrigerate marinade overnight to let flavors come together.

Remove tofu from package, drain liquid, and place between two plates. Put a book or saucepan or something else with a bit of weight on top of the plate to press as much extra liquid out of the tofu as possible. Let drain for 30 minutes to 1 hour. Slice into six 3/4-inch slabs. Place in bowl and cover with marinade, tossing gently to make sure the tofu is coated. Let marinade for 1 to 3 hours.

Heat your grill to medium hot, making sure the grates are clean and well oiled. Remove tofu from marinade and place a few inches apart on the grill. Cook for 5 to 8 minutes each side, basting with marinade as necessary. Tofu is done when it is crisping at the edges.

For the rice:
Combine basmati rice and 2 cups of water or vegetable stock in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and cover. Let cook for 15 minutes. Turn off heat, add curry powder to rice and mix well. Recover pot and let sit for 5 minutes.

For the fiddleheads:
Make sure your fiddleheads are clean; remove any of the brown papery chaff that might still cling to your fiddleheads and snap off any long stems. At their peak, fiddleheads should be tightly coiled and a lovely, rich green color.

Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Add fiddleheads and cook for 10 minutes. While fiddleheads cook, mix rice vinegar with sugar and salt. Toss vinegar mix with fiddleheads and serve.