Tempeh is one of those foods that is very temperamental. It’s either really delicious or unpleasantly “bitter” in flavor. It’s easy to see why so many people could easily be turned off to tempeh after just one bad experience.
My first experience eating tempeh was at my college dorm cafeteria. As I recall it was reasonably late in the dinner hour and there seemed to be an awful lot still sitting in the serving dish of the hot bar. I had no idea what tempeh even was at the time, but in my eagerness to try new things, I piled it onto my plate.
First warning sign was that the tempeh was horribly charred. They must of grilled it over a really high heat or something, but I somehow wrote this off as maybe a “blackened” spice rub sort of treatment (uh, dorm cafeteria?!?). One bite was all it took to realize that it was a bad cafeteria food. That was the only time I ever saw tempeh in the cafeteria… and that is probably a good thing.
What Is Tempeh Anyways?
Technically, tempeh is whole soybeans and sometimes grains (or seeds) that have been “fermented” with a mold which binds everything into a cake with its mycelia. To most people, that sounds gross, but you could just think of it as a mix of soy beans and mushrooms (also a turn off to some people). I just tell people it’s a traditional whole soy food that originated in Indonesia, where it is produced by culturing soy beans in banana leaves, forming them into a cake. Exotic!
Wikipedia Page on Tempeh
It was probably about 6 months before the opportunity to try tempeh came up again. This experience was at the popular Los Angeles vegan eatery, Real Food Daily. It was vegan brunch, and the form the tempeh took was “bacon”: thin strips of crisp-toasted tempeh, smoked with a touch of maple. This was quite tasty, and since I have tempeh in a varaeity of tasty preparations. So clearly tasty tempeh is in the preparation. No surprise that the dorm chefs messed that one up.
But that’s not to say that I don’t commend them for trying to introduce tempeh to the diets of us dorm dwellers. I have experiemented with tempeh a lot and some of my early experiements honestly were, although edible, somewhat strange. However, when prepared right, tempeh is more than a crazy hippie food, it’s a culinary delight. It has a delightfully unique texture a delicate, yet complex flavor, not to mention it’s a fantastic source of protein and fiber.
Therefore I would argue a view of tempeh as more than just a vegetarian’s “meat alternative.” I see it as a tasty solid protein that should be in the menu rotations of any well-rounded eater. There is meat, poultry, fish, shellfish, and tempeh. It’s like a category all it’s own.
The following recipe is a preparation of tempeh that does a good job preserving the natural texture and flavor of the temeph. Steaming the tempeh first helps take the bitter flavor of the tempeh cultures and mellow it out into that delicious “tempeh flavor.” The hot steamed tempeh readily accepts the simple marinade which compliments, but doesn’t overpower.
I’ll admit that this three step cooking process seems complicated and time consuming, but tempeh shouldn’t be rushed. Most of the time is inactive, giving time to prepare a side dish, making it easy to pull together a delicious and complete meal.
Broiled Tempeh with Roasted Red Peppers and Caramelized Shallots
Serves 2
- 1 8oz Block Tempeh
- Juice of 2 lemons (1/3-1/2 cup)
- 4 Cloves of Garlic, smashed and minced
- 1 tsp Minced Fresh Thyme, stems removed
- 2 tsp Brown Rice Miso
- 1 tbs Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 1 large Red Bell Pepper
- 2 large Shallots, thinly sliced
- 1 tsp Agave Nectar or Sugar
- 2 tsp Balsamic Vinegar
For the Marinade:
For the Topping:
- Bring a couple inches of water to a boil in a large pot with a steamer basket. Preheat oven to 350°.
- Cut the tempeh in half lengthwise, then each piece to half thickness. Cut each of these pieces along the diagonal, totaling 8, 1/4″ thick triangles. Place triangles into steamer basket, do not stack. Steam for 15-20 minutes. Don’t worry about over-cooking.
- Meanwhile, prepare the marinade, whisking together all of the ingredients until well combined.
- Place a piece of parchment paper on a baking sheet and fold up the sides, twisting the corners to form a shallow parchment dish just large enough to hold all the tempeh. Pour half of the marinade evenly into the parchment.
- Place the tempeh into the parchment and pour the remaining marinade evenly over top the marinade. Transfer to the oven and bake until most of the marinade has absorbed, about 15 minutes.
- Meanwhile, roast your red pepper over a burner of your stove until the skin is well charred. Transfer to a bowl and cover to let steam. Over medium heat, sauteé the shallots with a light spray of olive oil until they just start to to soften. Add a 1/4 cup of water and the agave nectar or sugar. Continue cooking until the shallots are very soft and golden brown, adding more water as needed. Remove the skin, seeds and veins from the pepper and slice into thin strips. Add the vinegar and peppers to the shallots and toss to combine. Remove from heat.
- Lightly spray a cast iron pan or other oven-safe vessel with olive oil. Add the tempeh to the pan, and turn on the broiler. Broil tempeh 2-3 minutes on each side until golden brown. Be sure to check on the tempeh often, as it can quickly go from perfect to burnt.
- Plate tempeh and top with the peppers and shallots. This could be served with many different things such as potatoes, rice, quinoa, pasta, or whatever else you’d like. It would also make for a tasty tempeh sandwich…
You can buy pre-roasted red peppers in jars, however it seems like an awful lot of packaging for two pathetic peppers… plus it’s a lot more fun to roast your own; you get to play with fire! If you are scared, don’t be; check out this great step by step guide.
I love your photo of the red pepper. I can almost smell the char of the skin and the deep fragrance it fills the kitchen with!