I WAS NEWLY INFATUATED with tempeh and looking for new flavor combinations when I first roasted tempeh in a fairly traditional sauce made with Chinese oyster sauce. The tempeh was good on its own, but something prompted me to wrap it in a lettuce leaf with scallions and cucumber. Heaven! It makes a wonderful meal accompanied by fried rice.
SERVES: 4 TO 6
INGREDIENTS:
- ¾ cup high-quality neutral-tasting chicken or vegetable broth
- 6 tablespoons oyster sauce (see Note on [>])
- ¼ cup soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons dry sherry or rice wine
- 2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1 tablespoon peeled and minced fresh ginger
- 2 teaspoons sugar
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 16 ounces soy tempeh
- 2 to 3 heads Boston, butter, or romaine lettuce, separated into individual leaves
- 1 bunch (8 to 12) scallions, thinly sliced lengthwise and cut into 3-inch lengths
- 1 English cucumber, thinly sliced lengthwise and cut into 3-inch lengths
INSTRUCTIONS:
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly oil a 9 × 13-inch baking dish.
- In a small bowl, combine the broth, oyster sauce, soy sauce, sherry, oil, cornstarch, ginger, sugar, and garlic. Whisk to combine. Pour half the sauce into the baking dish.
- Cut the tempeh in half horizontally. Then cut each half into ½-inch-wide strips. Arrange in a single layer in the baking dish. Pour the remaining sauce on top.
- Roast for about 30 minutes, until the sauce is mostly absorbed, turning once about halfway through.
- To serve, arrange the tempeh, lettuce, scallions, and cucumber on a serving platter. Place a piece of tempeh in a lettuce leaf, add a few pieces of scallion and cucumber, fold into a bite-size package, and eat.
