Hop Alley is a Michelin Bib Gourmand restaurant in Denver, Colorado. Chef Geoff Cox, who has worked in the kitchen at Hop Alley since it opened (and has been the executive chef for the last 8 years) was kind enough to share how to make one of the restaurant's most popular dishes – Chilled Tofu in Bang Bang Sauce.
Chilled Tofu in Bang Bang Sauce
Chef Geoff Cox
Time: 10 minutes
Ingredients List
1 block of chilled soft tofu, drained
Chef Geoff uses the House Foods brand of tofu at Hop Alley. For this dish, he uses the 2 on their firmness scale.
1 English cucumber
2 tablespoons sesame paste
Chef Geoff likes using Lian How brand of sesame paste
2 tablespoons Chinkiang Vinegar (Chinese black vinegar)
2 tablespoons light soy sauce
2 tablespoons sugar
Splash of water
Flakey sea salt
2 sprigs cilantro
1/4 cup peanuts
Szechuan peppercorns, freshly ground
Seasoning mix:
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon chili flake
1 tablespoon poppy seed
Blended oil:
1/3 cup chili oil
1/3 cup sesame oil
1/3 cup peanut oil
1/3 cup soybean oil
Chef Geoff Cox of Hop Alley in Denver, Colorado
Prep
Seasoning Mix:
In a small bowl or container, mix together the ingredients for the seasoning mix
Blended oil:
Add 1/3 cup chili oil, 1/3 cup sesame oil, 1/3 cup peanut oil, and 1/3 cup soybean oil to a bowl or container and gently stir to mix. This is our blended oil.
How to Make Chilled Tofu in Bang Bang Sauce with Smashed Cucumbers, Peanuts, Cilantro, and Sichuan Pepper
Step 1
Cut the ends off of the cucumber. Use a peeler to remove a strip of cucumber skin lengthwise. Then leave a strip of cucumber skin the same width as what you’ve peeled, and peel the next strip of skin. Repeat until you peeled half of the cucumber with alternating strip of peeled skin and skin still on. Now slice the cucumber in half lengthwise and place it on your cutting board, cut side down. Chef Geoff uses the flat side of his cleaver to bang on the cucumbers, but if you aren’t comfortable using the flat side of your knife, bang on the cucumbers with something flat, or even the palm of your hand. This breaks down cellular structure of the cucumber.
Step 2
Slice each smashed cucumber half lengthwise twice to created three equal sized strips. Then cut those strips into roughly 1/2” pieces. Transfer to a mixing bowl and about a tablespoon of the blended oil. Toss or stir to coat the cucumber in the oil. Season the cucumber liberally (or to taste) with the seasoning mix and stir. Set the smashed cucumbers to the side.
Step 3
For one restaurant sized portion, we are going to use half of the block of soft tofu. Slice the tofu into 10 thin, equal sized slices. Slice the side of your knife or a spatula under the tofu slices and transfer them to a shallow bowl. Try to evenly space the shingled tofu slices and center them in your bowl.
Step 4
In a blender, add the sesame paste, Chinkiang vinegar, light soy sauce, sugar, and a splash of water. The water just helps everything blend better. Fill up a liquid measuring cup with 1 cup of the blended oil. Turn the blender on low and thinly stream in the blended oil (no pun intended) to emulsify the bang bang sauce. Once you’ve added about half of the oil you can increase the speed of your blender and stream in the rest of the oil. Once all of the oil has been added, blend on high for a few seconds. Turn off the blender and use a spoon to taste for seasoning. You may need to add some sugar to balance the saltiness of the soy sauce. Transfer the bang bang sauce to a bowl, container, or squeeze bottle.
Step 5
Coat the tofu in the band bang sauce. Add more sauce on the sides – you want the sauce to pool around the tofu go about halfway up the tofu. Season the top of the tofu with some flaky salt. Use a spice grinder (or pepper grinder, as Chef Geoff does) to finely grind some Szechuan peppercorns. If using a spice grinder, sprinkle the finely ground peppercorns on top of the tofu. If using a pepper grinder, grind directly onto the tofu.
Step 6
Add some of the smashed cucumbers down the center of the tofu. Top with the peanuts, and garnish with some cilantro leaves.
Chilled Tofu in Bang Bang Sauce
Ingredients
- 1 block of chilled soft tofu, drained
- 1 English cucumber
- 2 tablespoons sesame paste
- 2 tablespoons Chinkiang Vinegar (Chinese black vinegar)
- 2 tablespoons light soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- Splash of water
- Flakey sea salt
- 2 sprigs cilantro
- 1/4 cup peanuts
- Szechuan peppercorns, freshly ground
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1 tablespoon chili flake
- 1 tablespoon poppy seed
- 1/3 cup chili oil
- 1/3 cup sesame oil
- 1/3 cup peanut oil
- 1/3 cup soybean oil
Instructions
- In a small bowl or container, mix together the kosher salt, sugar, chili flake, and poppy seeds.
- Add 1/3 cup chili oil, 1/3 cup sesame oil, 1/3 cup peanut oil, and 1/3 cup soybean oil to a bowl or container and gently stir to mix. This is our blended oil.
- Cut the ends off of the cucumber. Use a peeler to remove a strip of cucumber skin lengthwise. Then leave a strip of cucumber skin the same width as what you’ve peeled, and peel the next strip of skin. Repeat until you peeled half of the cucumber with alternating strip of peeled skin and skin still on. Now slice the cucumber in half lengthwise and place it on your cutting board, cut side down. Chef Geoff uses the flat side of his cleaver to bang on the cucumbers, but if you aren’t comfortable using the flat side of your knife, bang on the cucumbers with something flat, or even the palm of your hand. This breaks down cellular structure of the cucumber.
- Slice each smashed cucumber half lengthwise twice to created three equal sized strips. Then cut those strips into roughly 1/2” pieces. Transfer to a mixing bowl and about a tablespoon of the blended oil. Toss or stir to coat the cucumber in the oil. Season the cucumber liberally (or to taste) with the seasoning mix and stir. Set the smashed cucumbers to the side.
- For one restaurant sized portion, we are going to use half of the block of soft tofu. Slice the tofu into 10 thin, equal sized slices. Slice the side of your knife or a spatula under the tofu slices and transfer them to a shallow bowl. Try to evenly space the shingled tofu slices and center them in your bowl.
- In a blender, add the sesame paste, Chinkiang vinegar, light soy sauce, sugar, and a splash of water. The water just helps everything blend better. Fill up a liquid measuring cup with 1 cup of the blended oil. Turn the blender on low and thinly stream in the blended oil (no pun intended) to emulsify the bang bang sauce. Once you’ve added about half of the oil you can increase the speed of your blender and stream in the rest of the oil. Once all of the oil has been added, blend on high for a few seconds. Turn off the blender and use a spoon to taste for seasoning. You may need to add some sugar to balance the saltiness of the soy sauce. Transfer the bang bang sauce to a bowl, container, or squeeze bottle.
- Coat the tofu in the band bang sauce. Add more sauce on the sides – you want the sauce to pool around the tofu go about halfway up the tofu. Season the top of the tofu with some flaky salt. Use a spice grinder (or pepper grinder, as Chef Geoff does) to finely grind some Szechuan peppercorns. If using a spice grinder, sprinkle the finely ground peppercorns on top of the tofu. If using a pepper grinder, grind directly onto the tofu.
- Add some of the smashed cucumbers down the center of the tofu. Top with the peanuts, and garnish with some cilantro leaves.
Notes
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