It is with great sadness that we bid a fond farewell to our Crispy Tofu with Green Ragout. It was a great dish and one that did well for Dirt Candy, but now it’s gone to live on the Island of Retired Dishes (our memorial photo album of the Island of Retired Dishes is up on the Dirt Candy Facebook page). But with each end, there comes a new beginning and so please welcome Crispy Tofu and Broccolini served in an orange beurre blanc sauce. There is a vegan version that’s served in a coconut orange sauce, which is just as good only without the butter.

.

.

And, yes, those are deep fried orange slices on the side.

.

.

This dish is a variation on the crispy tofu and green ragout, but the big switch is that we’re serving it with broccolini (which is a cross-bred mix of broccoli and Chinese broccoli that has longer stalks and a slightly sweeter taste) which we fry very quickly in oil infused with Thai chilis and Sichuan peppercorns to give it just a bit of heat that lingers on your lips.

.

.

The beurre blanc sauce is made with butter (or coconut milk, if you’re a vegan) and ginger, lemongrass, galangal and a bunch of other stuff we cook down in it. We serve it with micro-cilantro on top of the tofu and a bit of orange zest, then on the side of the plate is orange powder that we make out of orange peels (and that takes forever).

.

.

And on the side, deep fried orange segments with Thai chili. Because the “Will it fry? Is it better fried?” game is what we play in the kitchen whenever we have a free moment.

.

.