During my recent trip to London, I tried 3 different vegan fish and chips dishes. They were all good-ish, but none of them were great. The most interesting vegan fish I tried was made from a banana blossom, but banana blossoms aren't easily available here in Toronto. The other two I tried were both called tofish and chips where the "fish" was made from tofu. These were both only ok. They both used nori (the same seaweed that is used to make sushi rolls) as a kind of fish skin, which was pretty neat. But the tofu itself was way under seasoned and lacked texture. The good news? I knew I could improve on this greatly to make a tofish and chips that had a ton of flavour and a cool flaky texture. Home cooking for the win! 
FEATURED COMMENT:
These were so fun to make! Tasted great as well. Thank you, Sam! - in2insight
For the texture, I was inspired my friend The Easy Vegan where he sliced blocks of tofu very thinly to give a flaky-like texture. I took his method and adjusted it slightly to make it my own. For the flavour, I first pressed the tofu to get as much water out as possible, then I made an umami-packed marinade, letting that soak into the tofu overnight. The thin slices on the tofu had the added benefit of enabling the marinade get deep into the tofu to make for the most flavourful vegan fish and chips. And to finish it off, just like at the restaurants, I added a piece of nori on top of the tofu before dipping into batter before frying for a kind of skin that has the taste of the sea. The result: the best tofish and chips I've ever had! Hands down. Hands down to pick up your fork and knife so you can eat more tofish. 
Flaky flavourful tofish in a crispy beer batter (the beer is optional). Serve it with some homemade chips, I used my recipe for crispy baked french fries, but I cut the fries a little thicker for that chip vibe. Then serve it with vegan tartar sauce (page 144 in Fuss-Free Vegan), and lemon wedges. Or use whatever your favourite accompaniments are. 
To make tofish and chips (vegan fish and chips): drain and press the tofu (or tofu blocks if you're making multiple) for 20 minutes or longer. See my guide on how to press tofu for more info. Once the tofu is pressed, slice the tofu into four slices about 1" thick. To make the flaky texture, take one of the tofu pieces and slice the tofu part way through repeatedly about ¼" apart. It's helpful to use chopsticks on either side of the tofu to stop from cutting all the way through the tofu so the slices remain intact. 
I like to cut the slices on a slight angle for that extra fishy texture. This technique not only makes the tofu look like fish, but it provides the flaky texture, and it lets the marinade soak through the tofu for maximum flavour! 
To make a fish-like skin I use nori sheets (the same sheets of seaweed you use to roll sushi). Cut rectangles about the same size as the four tofu pieces. Using scissors here is recommended. 
For frying the tofish, I prefer to do a shallow fry where only a small amount of vegetable oil is used. I'm personally not a big fan of deep frying as it can be quite dangerous. But if you are comfortable you are welcome to deep fry this tofish. Either way, always be extra careful when working with hot oil! To shallow fry, pour enough oil to generously coat the bottom of a heavy skillet, pan, or pot. Put over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot and ready for frying, take a piece of nori and place it on the side of the tofu that doesn't have cuts. Hold the nori on the tofu and dip the tofu into the batter to coat. Gently place the battered tofu directly into the hot oil, being careful as it may spit. Repeat with the remaining tofu slices. Fry 2 - 3 minutes per side, turning as needed until the batter is golden brown and crispy all over. 
Drain on paper towel to remove excess oil. Serve hot with chips (don't forget the ketchup and malt vinegar!), a squeeze of lemon, and tartar sauce. And if you really want to be authentic - serve some mushy peas on the side! Vegan seafood for the win!! Bon appetegan! Sam.
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Tofish and Chips (vegan fish and chips)
Servings: tofish pieces
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Ingredients
For the tofish:
- 1 block (420g) firm tofu, drained and pressed (see step 1)
- ½ cup vegetable broth or water
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon white miso paste
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
For the batter:
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon sweet paprika
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 - 1 ¼ cups soda water or beer
- 1 sheet nori, cut into pieces (see step 4)
- oil for frying
Add ons:
- 1 recipe Crispy Baked French Fries,, cut slightly thicker to make a heartier chip
- 1 recipe Vegan Tartar Sauce , (Page 144 in Fuss-Free Vegan)
- 1 lemon,, sliced into wedges
Instructions
- Prep the tofu: drain and press the tofu for 20 minutes or longer. See my guide on how to press tofu for more info. Once the tofu is pressed, slice the tofu into four slices about 1" thick. To make the flaky texture, take one of the tofu pieces and slice the tofu part way through repeatedly about ¼" apart. It's helpful to use chopsticks on either side of the tofu to stop from cutting all the way through the tofu so the slices remain intact.
- Mix the marinade: mix together the vegetable broth, lemon juice, white miso paste, onion powder, garlic powder, and salt in a flat dish or resealable bag. Add the tofu slices, being careful to handle them gently so they don't fall apart. Let marinate for a minimum of 1 hour or as long as a few days covered in the fridge. I usually marinate it overnight in the fridge.
- Make the batter: in a medium bowl mix together the flour, paprika, garlic powder, and salt. Add 1 cup of soda water or beer and mix. Add up to ¼ cup more liquid as needed to reach a thick pancake batter consistency.
- Cut the nori: to make a fish-like skin I use nori sheets (the same sheets of seaweed you use to roll sushi). Cut 4 rectangles that are about the same size as the four tofu pieces. Set aside.
- Fry the tofish: pour enough oil to generously coat the bottom of a heavy skillet or pot. Put over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot and ready for frying, take a piece of nori and place it on the side of the tofu that doesn't have cuts. Hold the nori on the tofu and dip the tofu into the batter to coat. Gently place the battered tofu directly into the hot oil, being careful as it may spit. Repeat with the remaining tofu slices. Fry 2 - 3 minutes per side, turning as needed until the batter is golden and crisp all over. Drain on paper towel. Serve hot with chips, a squeeze of lemon, and tartar sauce.
Nutrition
Laura Slatter says
Can you freeze this? If so how would you cook from frozen?
I made too many left over but would like to have them again, they were great!
Sam Turnbull @ It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken says
So happy you enjoyed them! I don't think they would freeze well unfortunately.