Making Vegan Salmon out of Tofu .... and it's actually GOOD!

[@synthia6428]

Do you think freezing the tofu would allow the more flavor to come in and flake like salmon

[@canamrock]

Slicing and letting it freeze with the beet juice marinate, maybe? Maximum time to penetrate the tofu with the coloring and flavor.

[@SauceStache]

AHHHHHH This is what I love! I totally bet that would really help with the texture and flavor!!

[@CyraGetsFit]

@@SauceStache Did you ever watch East Meets Kitchen spare ribs episode where she used jackfruit and soy protein isolate to make Chinese spare ribs. First drain the tofu and press out as much liquid as you can, then create the flavor brine. Soak the tofu in the brine and THEN freeze it. Then thaw, blend and use the soy isolate with the methyl to bring it back together...?? I know that it would be quite the process. I am trying to think of a food that would simulate the flackiness.

[@SauceStache]

Yeah!!! I totally watched that recipe! It was wild! I need to take a look at it again, but I can see where you are going with this!!

[@jennifers2555]

@@SauceStache YES! Freezing, thawing, pressing and marinating overnight!

[@sohatyi]

I make a vegan fried Chinese fish from a book I bought in mainland china, it uses a sheet of nori on the bottom as the skin and a filling of enoki mushrooms, water chestnut and sliced tofu puffs, seasoned with shitake and kombu broth. The entire lot is wrapped in a tofu skin, lightly scored and fried. There's a simple "five flavours sauce" with it that's kind of a vinegary less sweet version of sweet and sour.

[@sohatyi]

@@adriandatura something like Chinese Vegetarian Cuisine. You can't really buy it from Amazon, as it has no ISBN. You can sometimes find the odd copy on eBay. I got a few over there, they're a secret weapon if you want to cook unusual Chinese temple style food

[@todayiglowup4286]

chinese vegetarian food are superior, their mock meats can be so realistic

[@cefarther3945]

So, it costs like a hundred dollars? For godsakes, get your mind together, brother.

[@MrTheonlyducky]

Idk this was a year ago and you may have found a way to make it taste better but have you thought of granding up white seaweed and putting it in your mixture for more of a fishy salty flavor? I love your videos by the way and how you experiment on different recipes. Keep up the good work 🙂

[@JonPPrivate]

Really appreciate that you show experiments that don't always succeed fully! It helps to see the process. Thanks!

[@SauceStache]

Thank you!! I really appreciate you!

[@emmasgoodies]

I love that you used seaweed for the skin!! This was awesome Mark!

[@SauceStache]

Thanks Emma!!!!! I had to get creative quick haha

[@iaw7406]

I used to think sushi skin was fish skin lol

[@cattlyy_]

emma would u make vegan recipes too? 🥺

[@undercava1]

@@cattlyy_ yes i want that too🥰

[@lesil1000]

I just realized I never learned his first name until today

[@PopeNicholasXVI]

I real like these plant based fish alternatives. Commercial fishing is killing our oceans, I’m not much of a seafood guy but if y’all can make a vegan shrimp and tuna I’d be all over it.

[@SauceStache]

I made a shrimp in the past, but I really need to work on it again to nail it! As far as raw tuna there is a company called Zeastar that makes a WILDLY good vegan sushi tuna

[@kathleenkeene5864]

Try BeLeaf brand shrimp! As for making shrimp, you need konjac!

[@rdizzy1]

And fish farming isn't a good solution either, as fish farms can be even worse than simply killing our oceans, depending on how you look at it.

[@MyCommentsRMaturelol]

@@rdizzy1 plus they also kill oceans lol.

[@rdizzy1]

@@MyCommentsRMaturelol The reality is that any corporation or business views profits above morals, so insane levels of regulations and enforcement of those regulations is necessary. Otherwise, say byebye to the environment.

[@Broxios]

I recently bought a package of vegan fish fingers and they really tasted like fish fingers. I looked through the ingredients and noticed they added flax seed oil. There was no other aroma added, only spices. Now partially oxidized flax seed oil has a fishy smell and taste. Maybe adding flax seed oil and heating it up a little could bring a fishy taste to homemade vegan fish alternatives?

[@LarnieRadek]

My memory might not be 100%, but I think there's a brand that does seaweed flaxseed oil. I imagine it would be easy to make yourself!

[@lorrainewilliams7896]

I made the carrot lox with regular flax seed oil. That, a little salt and the nori made it so close to fish it was creepy.

[@LarnieRadek]

@@lorrainewilliams7896 Sounds good, I will have to look out for some!

[@lapillus2344]

Ooh, are you taking about gardein fish fillets? Those are delicious!

[@BluScoutBonk]

@@lorrainewilliams7896 Aye, I tried that as well, it was VERY good. I might try it with the block of tofu but let it marinate overnight.

[@craig5046]

I've done this before but marinated sliced tofu in seaweed flake water, then wrapped in nori sheet. Works a treat! Great job. Always a pleasure to watch your videos 😊

[@SauceStache]

That's a great idea!!!

[@craig5046]

@@SauceStache thanks! It was then battered and deep dried for some good todo-fish n'chips! 😊

[@rabbitscooter]

Try the "chopped" version as Salmon Wellington. The pastry crust will hold it all together, and you can layer spinach and dill on the tofu to add flavour.

[@SauceStache]

AHHHH I LOVE that idea!! I need to do it

[@irradiated_woman8016]

Ohhh that sounds goood...

[@bingo36able]

That sounds super tasty! May have to give that a try if I can get my hands on some beet juice.

[@theelectricant98]

Genius

[@NatalieWisler]

I JUST KNOW IN A FEW WEEKS YOU WILL PERFECT THIS 🔥

[@SauceStache]

hahahah thanks so much Natalie!!!! This one was really fun... honestly that minced up one was/is still my favorite haha that was good!

[@andrewwashere82]

I was thinking the same thing. This video is just "part 1" 😁

[@masonresnick5105]

I make a "Tofu tuna" by crumbling up firm Tofu into a mixture of garlic powder, olive oil, soy sauce, vinegar, turmeric (mainly for color), lemon juice, and mayo. It may not be exactly tuna, but it is quite flavorful and works well in a sandwich.

[@bonniehowell9206]

That actually sounds pretty good.

[@NatalieWisler]

I feel like fish is the hardest thing to make vegan. But every year I feel like we get closer and closer. Can’t wait to see the future of vegan “fish” !

[@SauceStache]

It is TOUGH!!! I saw you tried the Vegan Zeastar!! Its wild right?? ! I have some that I've been really trying to figure out how to work into a video. I made my own rough version but the Zeastar people nailed it!

[@Hopeinformer]

I feel Gardein's fishless fillets are the closest I've had... in flavor, not texture though.

[@NatalieWisler]

@@SauceStache oh wow you watched that?! 🙈😂 haha oh gosh thank you! Yes!! They killed it on the texture!! But unfortunately you can’t cook it, so that’s a whole different story to try to make a cooked version. I feel like if anyone can do it, it’s you!

[@NatalieWisler]

@@Hopeinformer yes agreed!! Just flavor, texture was kinda like their chick’n 🥴 which made it not their best product

[@bendingriver7101]

There's a restaurant in Portland called Ichiza that has perfectly convincing salmon that they order in. It's so based and it's absolutely perfect. It even has the striping of muscle texture

[@MerleONeal]

I'm glad you tried and enjoyed it! I love your tweaks and tests to recipes, so I'm definitely going to be trying this again with your notes

[@SauceStache]

Thank you so much!!! I kinda want to keep tweaking this one!! I feel like its soo good already that with the right texture it could be really great! Let me know if you mess around with it!

[@ShaadJamari]

My friend and I tried this awhile ago. We marinated it much longer and even cooked in the marinate to help the flavors get through. Didn’t try the seaweed wrap. That looks great.

[@SauceStache]

I think the longer marinade would totally make a difference!... and cooking it in the marinade too!! Love the ideas, thank you!

[@TheJuancapella]

To me, the best vegan fish was from a very simple recipe: white shimeji mushrooms pulsed in a food processor with salt, pepper and lemon juice (and some flour to bind it), then you make it into little "steaks" flour it and fry. Has a great flaky texture and tastes and smells like fried fish. Just be careful with the mushrooms because it turns really delicate with the processing.

[@voicelessglottalfricative6567]

How have NO companies offered you anything yet as a food scientist? I'm not vegan, but what you're doing is revolutionary.

[@AlexADumbDumb]

If you want the color to penetrate the tofu, what works well is to simmer it in an alkaline solution. You can use baking soda or a small amount of pickling lime. If you simmer tofu in a solution that basic, the whole thing becomes very soft and your liquid will penetrate right through it (though you have to time it right - fish it out before it dissolves). Then you can simmer it in an acidic version of the same liquid and it will firm right back up.

[@Radical_Dreamer]

i like how you changed the testing part of the video, is more interesting now

[@SauceStache]

Thank you!! I really wanted to figure out a taste test that more people enjoyed!

[@theshonen8899]

Title: "and it's actually GOOD!" Video: "...tons of potential!"

[@nivedyaraj852]

Yeah that’s what I don’t like about these videos smh

[@itskylelucas]

“Tons of potential! Lots more salt.” Words I’ve definitely uttered before 😅

[@luxinfinity73]

Hey guys, I just had an idea. Why don't you make your own tofu starting from the soy milk? Use beetle juice instead of water and flavour it so that the tofu gets pink everywhere and it's already tasty when you cook it. To make the beetle juice water for the soy milk even tastier, boil it with kombu to get an even fisher taste. You can still use capers, black olives and stuff to garnish but the objective is to have your tofu taste like fish out of the box.

[@sunandrain98]

You're channel is on a whole different level !! I've seen a LOT of vegan KZbin channels and yours is my favourite.

[@desertedxmind315]

I'm stoked for the next version of this. I feel like you always do one video testing out an idea, then it sits with you for a bit, and then you make a mindblowing followup video that reinvents vegan cooking lol.

[@Reddiscodancer]

:) I just watched that one yesterday! Yes the new improved version is a stunner!

[@GaryHess]

Gluten is a common fish substitute in Asia. Use flaked nori in it. And then wrap it in more nori. It’s usually served rolled and sliced the size of sushi. Go ahead and put msg in it as well. You can get the flaky texture more easily with gluten.

[@venithy5749]

I was thinking that fish sticks are kind of made from mashed pieces of fish, no? I think the version where you made it into pieces could be breaded, fried and make great fish sticks 👀👀 combine that with some sauce and bam

[@AWanderingEye]

Maybe for texture try starting with thawed out frozen tofu...?

[@nikowearden252]

I tried a variation on this where i marinated the tofu in a kelp dashi with some olive oil and umeboshi paste and cutting thin slices in the tofu leaving a couple of mm at the bottom so I didn't cut it apart to mimic flakey fish texture ~ honestly my verdict is that tofu is not fish aha but it was still tasty

[@Roamer145]

Fried salmon patties on fried cornbread was a staple growing up for me, the blended version would be perfect for that!

[@graceindeswoods5090]

I love whenever it isn't the best the reaction is 'it's got tons of potential', so positive

[@qrowing]

That seaweed wrap is incredibly clever. You always surprise me, dude.

[@SauceStache]

Well thank you!!! I was originally going to cook them in their containers but I realized pretty quick that was probably not a good idea to bake a bunch of plastic containers hahahahaha I needed to figure out the wrap thing quick

[@jaymayhoi]

looks delicious! there's some really good tofu fish and chips in London here and it looks very similar!

[@SauceStache]

Thats awesome!! I need to try a fried version of the sliced tofu to see if I can get the texture closer

[@Userhandle7384]

You are turning into my favorite food tuber, all these ideas are awesome!

[@DJTronuk]

It's so awesome how many possibilities there are for vegan options! I love it. Great dish Mark!

[@melissalaparra3040]

I made Bosh’s version a few nights ago and I’m definitely taking notes from your video for the next time I make it! Mine tasted good, but needed more flavor. I think I might marinate mine in more than just beet juice (caper brine, white wine, lemon, shredded nori...) and let it sit longer. Oh, and maybe add vegan butter.

[@pooka994]

I love this channel so much. Appreciate you playing with food science!!

[@sotirisgeorgiou]

I think you should try again the ethylcellulose method BUT make the slices way thinner with a thin slice cutter or something so the flavor can penetrate more but it will still hold together as a salmon steak. I would also add soaked kombu pieces to add on the saltiness and umami-ness. It looks like a project.

[@coastalCondor]

Looks amazing! Very excited to see this work! I did a smoked salmon with carrot that turned out well. Hoping to add your baked salmon style to the menu! Keep rocking it

[@SauceStache]

Thats awesome!!! The minced version was my favorite but I think with some tweaking the sliced version would work REALLY well!

[@AlexADumbDumb]

Besides freezing it, one thing to try is slow-frying medium-firm. If you just take the whole block of medium-firm tofu, salt, and put it in a frying pan with oil over low heat and let it fry for about 30 minutes per side, only pressing slightly, the block shrinks down and it develops buttery, flaky layers. You can fry it for quite a lot of time for a denser texture. Also, for fishy flavor, nothing beats the subtle seafood flavor you get from high-quality algal oil!

[@kathleenkeene5864]

Have you tried freezing and thawing fully at least 2-3 times? It makes it flakey! Then you press it, and marinate it in seaweed brine, with algal oil as well.

[@12345678910bigal]

Good timing, I just finished Seaspiracy last week. I'm assuming no dolphins were killed in the making of this "salmon".

[@269Adele]

And no salmons either!

[@vloomn]

I'd definitely try to play around with yuba for mock fish, seeing that it is already used in Buddhist cuisine for that purpose.

[@kismypencek6185]

Sounds great!

[@Ahkmedren]

Perhaps a seaweed stock mixed with the beet juice would help bring more oceanic flavor to the party. Maybe use a toothpick to poke a few holes in the tofu before your brine it, and when you do brine it, go for 30+min to allow absorption? that's my hot take! I'm gonna try it for sure, then season like y'all did

[@SauceStache]

Totally!!! I bet that would come out awesome !! I think any way to get more flavor into this would totally amp it up!

[@Ahkmedren]

@@SauceStache Making a dashi stock really added that nice briney flavor! Plus with kombu, after using it to make stock, you get to oil,salt and bake them into chips! Boom! Fish'n chips! My oven's kinda wonky so there's some charring BUT. thank you for sharing this cool salmon tofu :>

[@Byronic_Man]

I'm not sure how much would I enjoy your recipes, I'm not sure how much I'd relish your vegan dishes. But one thing for sure, I really respect you for all the hardwork you do trying to make plant based foods taste like meat and fish. I really appreciate the efforts you put into it.

[@SauceStache]

Thank you! All im trying to do is pass ideas! If you never try a single recipe of mine, but it inspires you to try something new plant based.... then I feel good!

[@victorlnaraujo]

There's a "tofu" chef Jorge does with vegan milk and chickpeas that seems delicious to make like fried fish if you add seaweed on the milk.

[@Inconito___]

I tried to do a similar recipe with transglutamisase (TI so vegan) and tvp and it turned out great. I infused nori in boiling water, boiled the tvp in it, blended the tofu with the tvp and the transglutaminase (to improve the color, it's certainly possible to add coloring with beetroot powder and beta-carotene). Put it in a plastic warp for a night and it should be set. I cooked it with canola oil and salt , that was nice. Methycellulose can certaily improve the texture during the cooking but I did not try it

[@SauceStache]

Ahhh this is awesome, so I haven't messed with transglutamisase... I need to though, I have some in my pantry!! I've heard it doesn't bind plant proteins so thats why I havnt messed with it at all.... but this is giving me hope! Thanks so much for the tips!

[@Inconito___]

@@SauceStache It's binding but it's pretty fragile, it's working pretty well with tofu (I also used it in pie and quiche but it's really sensitive to salt and ph)

[@SauceStache]

Yeah I want to mess with it... if you're getting any bind out of it, it gives me hope!

[@xaytana]

Modify the beet juice to have more of an ocean-y flavor, like a vegan dashi powder with a kombu broth, maybe some mushroom powder as well for extra umami, and you should be able to get more flavor sea flavors into it, as well as keeping the beet, or any deep red colored veg/fruit, juice for color and additional flavor. Expanding on the methylcellulose variant, thinner slices should work better, for both flavor and texture, using something like a mandoline should work; as you'll want a more flaky texture, and the additional surface area should allow for even more flavor to soak in. With the chopped variant, maybe turn it into a salad, mix the additional ingredients (capers, dill, lemon juice, etc.) into the the vegan salmon along with a vegan mayo; the texture is there for a 'meat' salad, you just need the salad dressing to hold all the bits together. Though, as an experiment, I almost want to see a vegan salmon pickle. Instead of soaking the tofu in the beet juice, then adding lemon, dill, and capers later, why not mix all the additional ingredients and pickle the tofu in that liquid. It might not turn out as salmon, but it could be an interesting experiment for long-term flavor infusion for tofu. If this produces interesting results, go a step further with the former ocean broth idea, see if an 'ocean pickled tofu' imparts extra fishy flavors. on the idea of thinner slices, maybe freeze the tofu and use a deli slicer, similar to how any super thin-cut meat is produced, cheesesteak meat for example does this. I'm not sure how well tofu firms up when frozen, but when it comes to very thin slices, it seems like freezing helps with everything else.

[@ctcentralinfo]

Have you thought of freezing firm tofu a few times. It helps create bigger holes, which might make it easier to add more flavor.

[@thisdanceisloaded]

I’ve tried a recipe but with just regular tofu and you mash it up with a fork, mix in some cut up tofu skin, corn starch, season and place some on nori sheets then pan fry! It’s so delicious! ☺️

[@SauceStache]

That’s awesome

[@Mochido89]

For better color, you can add carrots to the beet juice (or, if you prefer, some yellow food coloring). Also, to get a piece to hold well and get that extra coloring inside, you can place the tofu piece between two chopsticks, so the knife doesnt fully cut it. Finally, if you have some leftover nori, you can simply crush it and add it to the marinade, for that extra fish flavor :)

[@Hazzer2007]

Maybe thin slices but not all the way down, salt and MSG prior to cooking, then fry on one side to get a crispy skin effect.

[@avielcherno1010]

I made this dish a ton of times and it became a family fav for sure but I usually do it by cutting into "fish fingers" and then also cutting diagonally almost all the way through using a set of chopsticks to keep me from cutting completely. This gives me a lot of space for the taste to go through and the texture of the "meat".

[@TheRocketRat]

Try Yudofu. It’s a Japanese dried-out tofu that is usually resoaked in a hot, sweet and savory broth, or sometimes put into a hotpot. It is often very firm, but has a very unique texture to most tofus, a little rougher. It’s been decades since I’ve had fish, so I don’t remember much of the texture. The yudofu might be interesting for it, but might be great for other things as well.

[@chelseajupiter2103]

I'm guessing if you do the freeze/press method to get the tofu shred-able and marinate in a rub of blended capers, dill, nori, algae powder, a touch of liquid smoke, soy sauce, lemon juice, melted vegan butter, beet juice and turmeric, then put the shreds back together with the binder method you tried and cook it in a nori wrap, you'd probably still not be able to fool anyone. But! It'd be pretty impressive and tasty.

[@bingo36able]

Salmon is one of those foods I don't eat all that often but nonetheless holds a certain place in my heart. Mark, if you can make the perfect salmon fillet, I can't tell you how appreciative I would be. In terms of flavour, I know others have mentioned freezing the tofu beforehand (which is totally something I think would work, love that method for making fried tofu "chicken") but I also wonder if adding a little bit of soy sauce to the marinade as well as some carrot tops alongside the capers and dill might help. Total shot in the dark but I think the soy sauce would help the salt penetrate a little more, give a little more umami one expects from a meat and the carrot tops could compliment the dill and add some of that aroma characteristic of a salmon. Really looking forward to your further experiments with this and I look forward to seeing your next foray into the world of kitchen alchemy :)

[@Soul_Younes]

What you could do is deeply scar a block of tofu, fill the gaps with some seaweed flakes, then marinate it in a beet, dill, caper and lemon, and more seaweed mixture, then put a nori sheet on the unscarred side that's holding them together, and I think you'd have a better result. Oh, and maybe coat it with old bay seasoning before cooking it.

[@ryanmay7930]

Changing the world one recipe at a time. You're the best!

[@andrewwashere82]

Once you perfect it, what do you think of doing smoked "salmon"?

[@mccauleyconor]

Love the experimental style! Maybe a broth made out of ramen staples, kombu, wakame and Shiitake, boiled down til it's thick and then marinate the tofu in that?

[@dogonsister]

Maybe use a fork to poke lots of holes in the tofu to allow more of the mixture to seep in. Also make the brine more flavorful with the capers and other seasonings and let marinade overnight. Even more out of the box, use flaked mushrooms.

[@emilyt9844]

I feel like for the bosh style one, you could just slice the top half to open it up a bit and then cook it in foil? I suppose the others were more flavourful because the nori wrap allowed it to steam a bit.

[@nocturnaltruthseeker]

Try using algae oil for the fishy flavor. The vegetarian "fish" I eat uses that and it tastes pretty good.

[@tabithavanderpool418]

Algae oil? How do you use it?

[@nocturnaltruthseeker]

@@tabithavanderpool418 you just use it like any other oil.

[@fallenangel3460]

If you press the water out freeze it then thaw out and press it again to get out all the water you can and then freeze again it gives it a great texture... Do you think it would work for making "fish" that way without having to add anything to it?? Twice frozen tofu is the bomb!!

[@BluScoutBonk]

I’d love to see you try this again with more marination and then the method you said at the end!

[@elliez.3561]

I wonder if the added surface area of the 'burger' one is what's making it more flavorful.

[@jstnthrguy]

Kelp powder in the wet ingredients would be one of the tickets to make it taste seaworthy.

[@vegunbtw]

Love to see the experimentation! That's what keeps me coming back to your videos

[@philippezevenberg1332]

Watching him do all these hard dishes makes me think he could maybe find a way to make an actually good vegan poutine.

[@thaZEBRAmussel]

Loving the taste testing and critiques at the end! Thank you!

[@jamespalmer1096]

I'm a big fan of these "who knows what's gonna happen when i try all this crazy stuff" videos... It's fun watching your creativity flow, even if it's a fail

[@kristakitchen2559]

I think soaking the tofu a lot longer with seasoning the mixture with salt, garlic, and blended in nori flakes in with the wet mixture would have given a fish flavor throughout and would have yielded a much better flavor and yes freezing the tofu is always best....

[@billthorne1]

Monica taste-testing is a great addition! Still wish she had her own mic! Thanks, Mark.

[@joeb4142]

I have some vegan fish sauce I bought for some reason. I think I’ll try it with tofu sliced super thin and the methylcellulose technique. I’ve also got a few different kinds of dried seaweed so it might be fun to experiment with those too.

[@SauceStache]

Oh I bet that would be good!!!

[@Ari_C]

i feel like you should still press the tofu a bit then marinate it in whatever you think will help impart that seafood flavor before the agar or methyl cellulose mixtures (seaweed, the caper brine, stuff like that. maybe a little soy sauce too since that'll help with the lack of salt and possibly add some depth and umami to the flavor. too much could ruin the color though) rather than just pouring some over the top before cooking. probably add some of the beet juice as well since the methyl cellulose and agar mixtures didn't seem to allow much color transfer

[@Kaeshana]

Some Asian grocery stores sell frozen vegan fish. They also use seaweed for texture and flavouring. You should check them out if you can! You could try more kelp/seaweed powder in the mixture for the fishy flavour? Or even the Asian vegan fish/mushroom sauces could give that umami you're looking for. Definitely agree with some other comments that freezing it multiple times would give you that "flakey" texture.

[@kyra8726]

Thanks that you write the recipe in the infobox! I love your videos!

[@loveorama]

Freeze the tofu first and then thaw it. You get a porous tofu after thawing. Then you can marinate it and the tofu absorbs the moisture and flavors much more efficiently

[@shadowxxs6]

Maybe try blending in dulse seaweed in refined coconut oil and add a bit of salt to it. Then marinate the Tofu in it overnight. You should be able to pack much more flavor that way

[@Pmomma100]

A fishy marinade should have been made to soak them in. I swear by Irish Sea Moss powder, and with kelp AND nori sheets, veg broth. Soak for 30 mins and then go for it. Works amazing for banana blossoms so I know it would work for Tofu. Gonna try it today.

[@jreOO7]

So, just a few thoughts... please message me back, as I'd be happy to collab to make it perfect! So, you need to press the tofu more, I know you were using the 'pre-pressed' version, and yes its much better than the tub of liquid they usually come in... but it still has the "tofu flavor". After pressingout any remaining moisture, we have to work on the marinade. I truly think making a "fish broth" with veg stock, kombu, rice wine vinegar, salt, sugar, shalot, bay leaf and beets. Cut tofu thinly diagonally & on an angle (try to mimic the way the flakes naturally are in fish) marinate overnight, which should allow the flavor & color to better penetrate the layers. Assemble a similar binder mixture, but without the beet this step & possibly slightly more of the methyl cellulose or even a sodium alginate (I'm not sure how this would be accomplished, but the texture of that in the layers should be close to realistic) Finally baking is ok, but almost exclusively before going plant based, we cooked fish in a sauté pan... also you could possibly use an insta pot to cook before pan searing to finish... I hope we can really nail this down & create the best fish ever!

[@steggy13]

I did actually make a decent "salmon" using tvp and vital wheat gotten to bind it together, with things like tartar sauce, chopped seaweeds, dill and lemon juice, then wrapped it in cling film and fridged it for a while, took it out and slapped some Seaweed around it like you did. Granted I've not eaten salmon in like..15 years but the tvp definitely gave it the flakiness element, and soaked up the flavours well.

[@alienormuscat]

Love to see different versions of it ! Very interesting :) thanks for your videos !

[@TheBozodclown]

I wonder if you could do the crumbly one, but instead of tearing/blending it, ram it through a French fry at the the smallest setting or even a mandolin or grater, so you get kind of flaky fibres?

[@margarett_b]

When I saw a vegan salmon based on seitan(which you should probably test too!), on one of our fave fb groups, some time ago, I was wondering if there is a way to make an easier, but also realistic one based on tofu and here you are, coming with this video for us :D So many creative ideas for a tofu-Salmon! . My idea, which I might actually test one day, would be to slice and soak the tofu in a more ocean-tasting beet juce (you know, with some seaweed and capers already) and then spread thin fatty layers (maybe starch and flaxseed oil based for the texture and flavour at the same time?) in between the slices, for a more realistic feel. And already having as much flavour in there, I would only cover one side with nori for that skin aspect :D . Anyways, sending you lots and lots of love! I absolutely love your content

[@SauceStache]

Hiii Margaret!!! Yeah I really need to try that seeitan version!! IT looks amazing!! But your idea sounds awesome!!! PLEASE let me know if you try that, it sounds really awesome!

[@80schunkaymunkay]

This was frickin awesome! Can’t wait to see you new and improved recipe!

[@matxtheking]

Yes I think the tofu needs defenetly more flavors. Especially with regular tofu I find that the secret is really to marinade it in a thick flavorful sauce over night so it can loose the classic tofu taste. For fish flavor I would use wakame blended in a rich soy sauce marinade with miso paste and sushi vinegar. Nori sheets are great but too subtle for tofu in my experience. It should really smell like the ocean. Dried wakame smells always very intense if you boil it in hot water. So I would recommend trying that.

[@venithy5749]

Try squeezing as much water out of the tofu and marinating it in a similar broth that you did for the carrot lox! I recently tried the carrot lox with your marinate and me and my parents are obsessed with it. The best one yet stayed 3 nights in the fridge. Also i think beetroot powder will be more potent (for color) in the broth than direct beet juice. I feel like what the tofu salmon recipe missed was something maybe like kelp seasoning. Right now we use caper brine but isn't there a way to dehydrate capers and make like the essence of it in a potent flavor powder xDD Also! You cut the tofu in slices, you could try cutting one in a cross pattern. Salmon has a very complicated pattern but maybe you can find a way to make micro cuts and then slice like you did in the video. Best of luck!! I know you can do it 🥺 and I'm excited to try it

[@jamesschmitt2203]

Maybe simmering some seaweed in oil to infuse it with flavour could help? I imagine it could impart a lot of that fish aroma if you let the Tofu marinade in something like that for a few hours or overnight

[@chriskonya1964]

You need to try pressing then marinading overnight on the sliced versions. Of course they will taste like tofu full of tofu juice and barely coated with the sauce

[@Rolyataylor2]

I would like to see some Sauce Stash branded food in the freezer section. I'd pay 6 bucks for 2 fillets.

[@nadatomic7621]

Maybe you could just poke the unsliced pieces a bunch of times with a toothpick. That way the juices could flow in much better and the texture will remain :)

[@dalemills8052]

Thanks for the ideas on this one guys.

[@SauceStache]

Lot of creators put in the work on this one! It was like a recipe mashup hahah

[@dalemills8052]

Gonna mash a few tweaks into this today. I'll let you know if it works out!!

[@roku3216]

I want to try this but after the slices are bound together with the methylcellulose and flavor, cut the block into large pieces and add a flavor glaze, then bake again.

[@an6350]

It's so fun to see you test stuff out. I really love the creativity... like ur making stuff that's never been done before and it's so cool

[@iaw7406]

Why didnt you use the fish leaf ?

[@JTMusicbox]

Awesome! I can’t wait to see what else you try as you work to perfect this!

[@GabeDev]

Please keep working on this one! My girlfriend is vegetarian, mostly vegan and the only meat she craves is salmon. Would love to make this for her some time! Keep up the good videos :)

[@sharkicornking6360]

I'm curious if vacuum sealing it would help drive flavor into the more solid ones. I may have to experiment with that and see.

[@PancakeInvaders]

Very nice, I've been thinking about assembling sliced things to make a fish thing for a while but I hadn't tried it yet, good job !

[@lydacious7338]

1 idea I had as I watched the video is to maybe poke holes in the sliced tofu and marinate the pieces overnight in the beat juice. Or for the Bosch recipe to score the top diagonally and again marinate in beet juice overnight. Hmmm.... I may try this if you don't :) Thanks for great videos :)

[@FondaLaShay]

Really cool 😋 I wonder if you vacuum packed the thinly cut one overnight with the new salty-er marinade if it would help?

[@almalauer9726]

Really great Video - I love seeing the process there!

[@franky2721]

Freeze the tofu and after that press out the water, now it soak up the flavor 😉