Southern Fried Tempeh

Makes 6-8 servings.

Step 1: Soak (Marinade)

Ingredients:

1# tempeh (2 blocks), cut into quarters

2 Tbsp hot sauce

2 C buttermilk, or coconut cream

¼ C 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 for 30 minutes to an hour in the fridge. Make sure to flip 1-2 times and if the marinade sits longer than an hour that’s okay.

Step 2: Dredge

Ingredients:

1.5 C all-purpose flour

1 Tbsp baking powder

r2 Tbsp cornstarch

1 Tbsp Kosher salt

1 Tbsp Black pepper

½ 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 Frying

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Set up a wire rack on a sheet tray next to the stove, ready to put the fried tempeh on. Heat a deep cast iron pan with about 1.5 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. Fry on each side for about 3 minutes each. Place tempeh on your rack and finish in the oven for about 6-8 minutes. Make sure the tempeh registers an internal temperature of 165F. Leave in the oven longer if you need to.

Step 4: Dressing

Ingredients:

¼ C Frying oil

2 Tbsp Hot Sauce

1 Tbsp Smoked paprika or regular

Honey to taste

Salt to taste

Preparation:

Mix dressing well in a bowl and coat each piece of fried tempeh.

Step 5: Serve

Add to your favorite sandwich, Buddha bowl, wrap, or serve a table snack. Serve on a homemade biscuit. You can cut it up into tenders or nuggets for kids (bonus points if you make chickpea-tenders!).