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1
Slice each piece of tofu crosswise into 4 (1/2-inch) thick slabs.
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2
Place a clean kitchen towel onto a rimmed baking sheet so that only half the towel is on the sheet.
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3
Put the tofu in one layer onto the towel and fold the other half of the towel over.
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4
Gently press the tofu several times to extract the excess water.
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5
Mash the garlic to a paste with the salt.
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6
In a large bowl, whisk together the mint, lemon zest, lemon juice, garlic paste, and pepper flakes.
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7
Whisking constantly, drizzle in the olive oil.
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8
Toss the tofu with the marinade, cover with plastic wrap, and let it sit at room temperature for 30 minutes, or refrigerate it for up to 12 hours.
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9
When you are ready to cook, preheat a large cast iron skillet over medium-high heat for several minutes.
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10
Lift the tofu from the marinade, gently pat it dry with a paper towel, and place it in the pan.
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11
Reserve the marinade.
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12
Weight the tofu by placing a smaller pan with a clean bottom on top and weighting it down with a full tea kettle, a heavy can of tomatoes, or a clean brick.
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13
Cook for 5 minutes, then reduce the heat to medium and continue to cook until the tofu is well browned, about 5 more minutes.
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14
Flip the tofu over, put the weight back on top, and cook until the tofu is browned on the second side and cooked through, about 6 to 8 more minutes.
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15
Transfer the tofu to a serving platter.
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16
Pour the oil out of the pan, then add the reserved marinade.
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17
Stir and simmer for 1 to 2 minutes, scraping up the browned bits from the bottom of the pan; pour over the tofu and serve.
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18
Calories 315; Total Fat 25 g; (Sat Fat 3 g, Mono Fat 18.5 g, Poly Fat 2.5 g) ; Protein 20 g; Carb 7.5 g; Fiber 2 g; Cholesterol 0 mg; Sodium 740 mg