Southern Fried Tempeh
Makes 6-8 servings.
Step 1: Soak in a marinade
Ingredients:
1 pound tempeh (2 blocks), cut into quarters
2 tbsp hot sauce
2 cups buttermilk, or coconut cream
1/4 cup pickling brine (from your favorite pickle jar)
3 sprigs each thyme and oregano, de-stemmed and roughly chopped
3 tbsp Kosher salt
Preparation:
Mix liquids, thyme, salt. Add tempeh. Put into a pan, bowl, or ziplock bag for 30 minutes to an hour in the fridge. Make sure to flip 1-2 times during the process. If the marinade sits longer than an hour that’s okay.
Step 2: Dredge tempeh in batter
Ingredients:
1 1/2 c all-purpose flour
1 Tbsp baking powder
2 Tbsp cornstarch
1 Tbsp Kosher salt
1 Tbsp Black pepper
1/2 Tsp Cayenne
2 Tbsp Sugar
Preparation:
Mix well and put into a wide dish or plate. This will be for coating your tempeh. Take tempeh out of the fridge and make sure to have a nice coating of the marinade on the tempeh. This will help the dredge to stick and create a great crust. Pressing the tempeh into the dish, cover each piece of tempeh in the dredge and set aside.
Step 3: Shallow-fry the tempeh
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Set up a wire rack on a sheet tray next to the stove, ready to place the fried tempeh on. Heat a deep cast iron pan with about 1 1/2 inches of oil—use a neutral oil for frying like canola, coconut, or vegetable oil—to 350 degrees (should be a achieved in a couple minutes on on medium high). There should be enough oil to cover the tempeh halfway up. Place your tempeh into the pan—it should sizzle—making sure not to overcrowd them. Fry on each side for about 3 minutes each. Place tempeh on your rack and finish in the oven for about 6-8 minutes. The tempeh should register an internal temperature of 165 F. Leave in the oven longer if you need to, or while you make your glaze.
Step 4: Make a glaze
Ingredients:
1/4 c frying oil
2 tbsp Hot Sauce
1 tbsp Smoked paprika or regular
Honey to taste
Salt to taste
Preparation:
Mix glaze ingredients well in a bowl. Coat each piece of fried tempeh (drop them right in).
Step 5: Serve
Add to your favorite sandwich, Buddha bowl, wrap, or offer as a table snack. Serve on a homemade biscuit. You can cut it up into tenders or nuggets for kiddos, too.