Vegan fish finger sandwich

Step 1

Cut the pressed tofu into fish finger like blocks - about 1 cm / 0.5" wide and tall blocks.

Step 2

Place tofu fingers in a shallow bowl with soy sauce (or tamari). Make sure you flip the pieces to the other side now and then so that they absorb the soy sauce evenly on all sides. Marinate until all of the soy sauce has been absorbed (about 30 minutes).

Step 3

Cut the nori into strips where the size matches the sides of the tofu. I held each tofu in between two strips of nori when coating, but you could also wrap the entire block in nori if you want a more intense fishy taste.

Step 4

If going down the cornflour route, prepare a shallow bowl and a large plate. In the bowl, whisk cornflour with approximately 120 ml / ½ cup of water to achieve a sticky mixture. Pour the breadcrumbs and ¼ tsp of salt on the plate and mix well. Hold each piece of tofu between two strips of nori and spoon the cornflour mixture over the tofu. I found that dipping does not work so well in this case as the nori tends to separate and get stuck in the cornflour mixture. Press into the breadcrumbs and repeat if you want an extra thick coating.

Step 5

If going down the aquafaba route, prepare a shallow bowl and two large plates. Place flour on the first plate, aquafaba in the bowl and the breadcrumbs mixed with ¼ tsp of salt on the second plate. Place two nori strips on each side of the tofu finger - the nori strips should stick to its moist sides. Then coat the tofu in flour, then aquafaba and finally breadcrumbs. For a thicker coat, repeat the last two steps again.

Step 6

Fill a small frying pan or the bottom of a wok with frying oil and let it heat up.

Step 7

Once the oil heats up (it's important that it is hot enough - a breadcrumb thrown into it should sizzle immediately, but not burn), fry each piece of tofu for about 1-2 minutes on each side - until the coating becomes golden. Place the freshly fried pieces on a plate lined with a kitchen towel to get rid of the excess oil.

Step 8

Mix vegan mayo with very finely chopped gherkin, shallot and capers.

Step 9

Season with mustard, lemon juice, salt and pepper to taste.

Step 10

Halve your buns and stick them (cut side up) under a grill.

Step 11

Place a generous dollop of vegan tartare sauce on the bottom half of each bun.

Step 12

Top with a layer of vegan fish fingers, quick-pickled onions (if using) and a selection of salad leaves.