Fried "fish"

I put this recipe in the "Ukrainian Recipes" category because fish holds a special place in Ukrainian cuisine. I doubt any Ukrainian celebratory gathering can take place without at least one dish featuring fish. There are so many ways Ukrainians prepare and cook it too. In the summer especially when people like to go fishing it's not entirely uncommon to be served fried fish, in Poltava that would most likely be a carp, that the host has caught themselves. Throughout the year you will likely find at least one of the following - smoked mackerel, and pickled herring, which are the most popular fish dishes. Both are eaten as a side and served cold. 

Another fish favorite in Ukraine is all sorts of fish jerky, which is made from such fish as Caspian roach, common bream, merluccius, and others. Because of the strong salty taste and intense umami flavor, these are some of the favorite snacks to have with a beer in Ukraine. 

While some fish dishes I have always been skeptical about (such as herring with onions pickled in tomato sauce), I would be lying if I said I don't wish I could have fish jerky or a smoked mackerel again. 

I think learning about the probably most common myths about fish - that they don't feel pain and that they are not considered proper meat, has helped me feel much less guilty about fish consumption. Furthermore, my grandmother used to be an avid fisherwoman when I was a kid and she used to take me fishing. She would do all the gross work and I only got to sit there with the fishing rod, my excitement rising whenever I thought the float moved and it going completely overboard when it had definitely dived. I enjoyed this activity as long as I was not confronted with death directly. I liked the feeling of catching something and making my grandma proud. 

Just because I'm vegan now doesn't mean I don't feel nostalgic for the dishes my taste buds got accustomed to early on. The above-mentioned dishes that are so common in Ukraine are just not a thing in Germany so I feel an extra longing since it's been a long while since I have had such delicious umami fish flavors. However now I know the flavor comes from the taste of water itself, from the seaweeds and it can be replicated in a way to omit the middle man, the fish. 

There is still a long way to go in recreating all the things I miss and want to try again but today's recipe is a great start. 

Here I used a Korean specialty - doenjang, fermented soybean paste. In a way, it is similar to miso but much more intense in flavor. This combined with nori - seaweed used in making sushi rolls, I got myself a recipe for an amazing alternative to a fish dish that I can be proud of. 

 

 

Tips and notes:

  • Finding doenjang in Berlin is quite easy. All the large Asian supermarkets have it, including the Go Asia supermarket chain. It is often packaged in a dark brown plastic box and among all the Korean writing there is also an English translation - doenjang. If you are hesitant about buying a whole tub, albeit small, of paste that you don't really know what to do with, you should google recipes for doenjang soup, it is another delicious dish you could make with it. In case you cannot find doenjang where you live then you can substitute it with miso. 
  • Use extra firm tofu for this recipe to make sure you get a firm "fish filet".
  • I added oil to the marinade to make it thicker in order to make sure that the tofu gets more of it. 
  • I made cuts in the tofu for this recipe in order to try to get the marinade to seep in better, but this is optional. 
  • I would recommend deep-frying the tofu for best results although simply frying it on both sides in lots of oil should be sufficient as well. 

 

Vegan Fried "Fish"

 

 

Ingredients

 

 

400 grams extra firm tofu

2 teaspoons doenjang, see notes

3 tablespoons juice from a jar of capers

2 tablespoons neutral vegetable oil, such as sunflower

3 tablespoons flour

7 tablespoons oat milk

about 80 grams or as much as needed panko breadcrumbs

3 sheets of nori (one per 2 pieces of "fish")

about 500 milliliters neutral vegetable oil for deep frying (you will have most of it left over and can reuse it)

 

 

 

 

Instructions 

 

1. First squeeze extra liquid from the tofu with your hands by wrapping each piece in a paper towel first. Then cut each tofu piece into 3 rectangular pieces that are about 3 cm thick. The tofu that I get comes in two pieces 200 grams each, if that is not the case for you and you get one block of tofu then cut it however you like, just make sure to have 6 rectangular and thin pieces of tofu in the end. Optionally you can add some texture to the tofu pieces by making cuts in it. Place the tofu piece with the wide thin side facing you. Use the knife to make about 45-degree cuts along the surface that end in the middle of the tofu piece. Flip the piece and do the same on the other side. Repeat with all the tofu pieces. Sat aside.

2. Now make the marinade by combining doenjang, caper juice and oil. Mix well. 

3. Pour the milk into a separate bowl. And fill another bowl with the panko crumbs. Prepare the nori sheets by cutting each piece into two. One piece of nori should cover the whole piece of tofu when you wrap the nori around it. 

4. Now fill a deep saucepan with the vegetable oil for frying on high heat. Wait about 4 minutes for it to warm up and then reduce the heat to medium. 

5. Now take one piece of tofu, dunk it into the marinade, and make sure that all the sides are covered, rub some into the cuts that you made. Then take a piece of nori and wrap it around the tofu, leaving only the short sides exposed. Now dip the wrapped tofu into the milk and lastly into the panko crumbs, making sure to catch as many crumbs as you can. Now place the "fish" into the hot oil and deep fry on each side until golden brown. Repeat with the rest of the tofu pieces. 

6. Enjoy!