The New York Times recipe: Crispy sheet-pan noodles with glazed tofu

Contrasting textures are a signature characteristic of Cantonese chow mein, in which crispy fried strands tangle with tender noodles. Here, that is achieved with the help of a sheet pan (baking tray) and an intensely hot oven. To ensure optimal crunch, start with the pan on the bottom rack to crisp the underside of the noodles, then move it up to the highest to encourage crackly noodles on top, too. Instant ramen noodles are the perfect choice for this recipe because they crisp up flawlessly; just soak them in boiling hot water to loosen them up before sliding them into the oven. The hoisin-marinated tofu is subtly sweet and carries a lot of the flavour in this noodle dish. Quick-cooking baby bok choy adds freshness, but you could also use leftover vegetables or seasonal produce.

Ingredients:

For the noodles

3 blocks instant ramen noodles (about 250g), flavour packets discarded

2 tbsp sesame oil

2 tbsp neutral oil, such as grapeseed or vegetable

2 tbsp soy sauce

Salt flakes

1 (400g) package extra-firm tofu, patted dry and cut into ½cm-thick slices

3 baby bok choy, trimmed and sliced vertically into 4 pieces

Handful of coriander leaves

For the marinade

2 tbsp hoisin

1 tbsp sesame oil

1 tbsp maple syrup

1 garlic clove, grated

1 tsp sesame seeds

Preparation:

Step 1 Heat oven to 230C and place one rack on the top and one on the bottom. Fill a kettle or medium pot with water (about 8 cups) and bring to a boil. Place the noodles in a heatproof bowl and cover with boiling water. Soak for 5 minutes, then drain. Set aside the bowl to use in Step 5.

Step 2 Make the marinade: in a medium bowl, whisk to combine the hoisin sauce, sesame oil, maple syrup, garlic and sesame seeds.

Step 3 Place the noodles on a baking tray. Add the sesame oil, 1 tbsp neutral oil, soy sauce and ½ tsp salt flakes. Toss to combine, then evenly spread out the noodles.

Step 4 Dip each tofu slice into the marinade, coating both sides, then add them to the baking tray, pushing the noodles aside so that the tofu touches the tray and doesn’t just sit on top of the noodles. Place on the bottom rack of the oven and bake for 15 minutes. Reserve excess marinade.

Step 5 Place the baby bok choy into the reserved bowl, then add the remaining 1 tbsp neutral oil and ½ tsp salt flakes, and toss to coat.

Step 6 Remove the baking tray from the oven (the noodles should be crisp on the bottom and at the edges) and add the bok choy to the pan. Return the tray to the top rack of the oven and bake for 4 to 7 minutes until the greens are vibrant with crispy edges, and the top of the noodles are crispy. Drizzle with the remaining marinade, top with coriander leaves and serve.

Serves 4

Total time: 35 minutes

This article originally appeared in The New York Times.

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