Recipe: Peach / Apricot Smokey BBQ Sauce + BBQ Tofu Rolls
There’s such a difference between the chemical tang of some mass-produced BBQ sauces and a home-made version. This gets a kick of sweetness from ripe summer fruits, which also add a caramelised stickiness which is totally worth the effort of making it. It makes a full jar which will last in the fridge for a week, enough to use for a few meals.
For the rolls you could use spring roll wraps, as here, Chinese-style pancakes like those you’d use for hoisin pancakes or even lettuce leaves.
The BBQ tofu would also be great in a ‘Buddha bowl’ type dish, with the below recommended veg, ginger and mint in little piles topping brown rice. Or try mixing leftover pork, chicken or jackfruit with cooked mushrooms and a generous dollop of BBQ sauce, and pairing this with roast veg and lettuce in a wrap or pancake roll.
Serves 2
For the BBQ sauce
Makes around 400ml
2 large ripe peaches or 4-5 apricots, diced
150ml tomato ketchup
30ml apple cider vinegar
30g brown sugar
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
¼ tsp each of cinnamon & cumin; chili powder / cayenne pepper to taste; plus 1 teaspoon sweet smoked paprika
3 cloves garlic, crushed
1 small onion, very finely chopped
1 tablespoon soy sauce
For the rolls
My recommended filling combination is:
A big handful of fresh mint, roughly torn
Ginger – grated fresh or finely sliced pickled
1 carrot, cut into fine batons
1 stick celery, cut into fine batons
150g mushrooms, thinly sliced
100g rice / cornstarch noodles
You could also add:
Peppers, finely sliced
Cucumber, cut into fine batons
Red cabbage, finely sliced
Bean sprouts
8 wrappers: spring rolls, Chinese pancakes or big lettuce leaves
1 block of firm tofu, well drained and cut into fingers
1/3 jar peach BBQ sauce
1. Cook onion until soft, around 10 minutes. Add the garlic and spices and cook for 1 minute until fragrant. Add the chopped peaches / apricots and cook for around 15 minutes until the fruit completely breaks down – the skins will disappear, don’t worry.
2. Take off the heat and stir in the tomato ketchup, vinegar, sugar, Worcester and soy sauces. If you prefer a smooth sauce, you can of course whizz it up.
3. Spoon a couple of tablespoons of BBQ sauce into a baking dish, lay the tofu over and top with more sauce. Gently turn the tofu fingers to coat.
4. Fry off the mushrooms until richly browned. While they’re frying, cook the noodles and run under cold water to cool.
5. Get a tablespoon of oil nice and hot in a frying or griddle pan, then carefully add the sauced-up tofu. Brown on one side, then turn them (tongs are easiest for this) until evenly browned all over.
6. If you’re making spring rolls, place a little nest of noodles vertically down the middle, leaving a space at top and bottom. Top this with the fresh veg, cooked mushrooms and a generous sprinkle of mint and ginger, then a tofu slice on top. Fold over the short top and bottom of the roll, followed by the longer sides. It honestly doesn’t matter if they’re as messy and bulgy as mine. Chinese pancakes or lettuce leaves can just be wrapped around the filling and enjoyed with abandon!
