Instead of battering and frying tiny pieces of chicken, this vegetarian riff on orange chicken puts tofu in the starring role of a weeknight-friendly sheet-pan dinner. To fully deliver on the recipe’s name, there’s both fresh orange juice and orange zest in the sauce for maximum brightness, but using store-bought juice will work in a pinch.
Oh, and don’t toss the broccoli stem; once chopped into small pieces, it roasts into crisp-tender vegetal sweetness alongside the florets.
Ingredients
4 servings
1 400g. block extra-firm tofu, drained
3 Tbsp. cornstarch, divided
1 tsp. Diamond Crystal or ½ tsp. Morton kosher salt, plus more
1 medium head of broccoli, crown cut into florets, stem peeled
Freshly ground pepper
2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
Zest and juice of 1 orange
2 scallions, white and pale green and dark green parts separated, thinly sliced
5 garlic cloves, finely grated
¼cup soy sauce
1 Tbsp. plus 1½ tsp. honey
1 Tbsp. unseasoned rice vinegar
1–2 tsp. sriracha
2 tsp. toasted sesame oil
Steamed jasmine rice and toasted sesame seeds (for serving)
Preparation
Step 1
Preheat oven to 425°. Wrap one 400g block extra-firm tofu, drained, in a few layers of paper towels and place on a rimmed baking sheet. Weigh down with something heavy, such as a cast-iron skillet, and let sit 10 minutes.
Step 2
Unpack and unwrap tofu, then transfer to a medium bowl and tear into 1½"–2" pieces. Add 2 Tbsp. cornstarch and 1 tsp. Diamond Crystal or ½ tsp. Morton kosher salt; toss to coat. Transfer tofu to a large rimmed baking sheet and push to one side. Add 1 medium head of broccoli, crown cut into florets, stem peeled, cut into pieces, to other side; season with salt and freshly ground pepper. Drizzle 2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil over broccoli and tofu and toss to coat. Roast until broccoli is charred in spots and tofu is pale golden, 30–35 minutes.
Step 3
Heat broiler. Broil broccoli and tofu until tofu is slightly darkened, about 3 minutes.
Step 4
Meanwhile, whisk remaining 1 Tbsp. cornstarch and ¼ cup water in a small saucepan until cornstarch is dissolved. Add zest and juice of 1 orange, 2 scallions, white and pale green parts thinly sliced, 5 garlic cloves, finely grated, ¼ cup soy sauce, 1 Tbsp. plus 1½ tsp. honey, 1 Tbsp. unseasoned rice vinegar, and 1–2 tsp. sriracha, depending on your heat preference, and whisk to combine. Place saucepan over medium-high heat and cook, whisking constantly, until glaze is bubbling around edges and thick and glossy, about 3 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in 2 tsp. toasted sesame oil.
Step 5
Pour glaze over broccoli and tofu; toss to coat. Serve over steamed jasmine rice, topped with thinly sliced dark green parts of 2 scallions and toasted sesame seeds.
Written by Zaynab Issa
This article has originally appeared on Bon Appetit
