Nori Vinaigrette:
Reduce sherry vinegar and sugar to 1/3 of a cup. Whisk in toasted and ground nori sheets, Dijon mustard, Kikkoman Gluten-Free Tamari Soy Sauce, pumpkin seed oil, olive oil and grapeseed oil.
Persimmon Puree:
Cook persimmons, vinegar, truffles and agar agar over medium low flame until the persimmons are soft enough to puree. In a blender, combine ingredients adding drops of black truffle oil and salt to taste. Refrigerate until firm, then blend for a second time.
Pumpkin Seed Brittle:
Warm the pumpkin seeds in an oven at 325 degrees. In a small pot, dissolve the sugar in water and boil until it’s a pale caramel color. Add the warm pumpkin seeds and continue to cook until it begins to pop, then quickly stir in the baking soda, cayenne and salt. Pour mixture onto parchment, let cool until hardened and roughly chop.
Black Soy Vinegar:
Combine all ingredients in a medium sized bowl.
Hijiki:
Reconstitute dried hijiki in water in pan on stove. Drain, then cook in equal parts Kikkoman Gluten-Free Tamari Soy Sauce and Kikkoman Kotteri Mirin for five minutes. Drain again and lay on paper towels to dry. Quickly sauté hijiki in vegetable oil over high heat until slightly crispy.
To Order:
Lay each tofu slab in a shallow bowl. Spread 1 tablespoon of chili bean paste on each tofu slab. Pour 2 tablespoons of black soy vinegar into the bottom of the bowl. In a mixing bowl, toss the treviso, persimmon, butternut squash, pumpkin seed brittle, and the hijiki with enough nori vinaigrette to lightly coat, then mound the salad mixture on top of the tofu. Dot the plate with persimmon puree and finish with a drizzle of olive oil.
Recipe by Sarah Pliner, Aviary PDX, Portland, OR
