I just made the yummiest dinner! Sesame tofu noodles

[hunter]

I just about had a panic attack this afternoon when Emma dumped about a quarter cup of sesame oil on the tofu I had just pressed. OK then, change of dinner plans! This would probably be good with chicken instead of tofu.

1 pound tofu, pressed and cubed
2 tbsp sesame oil
2 tbsp soy sauce
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 pound asparagus, cut into 1-inch pieces
1/2 cup vegetable stock
1 tbsp sesame oil
1 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp sugar
1/4 cup white wine
2 tbsp oyster sauce
2 tbsp cornstarch, dissolved in 1/4 cup vegetable stock
1 pound thin noodles, cooked (soba, udon, linguine, angel hair)
Sesame seeds

Marinate the tofu in the sesame oil and soy sauce for 30 minutes. Heat a wok and stir-fry the tofu and garlic until lightly browned. Add the asparagus and stir-fry until the asparagus is just tender. Add the vegetable stock, sesame oil, soy sauce, sugar, white wine, and oyster sauce, and bring to a boil. Quickly stir in the cornstarch, and stir until sauce is thickened. Toss with noodles, sprinkle with sesame seeds, and serve immediately.

[Queenie]

That sounds really good, Hunter. What is oyster sauce exactly? I know I've heard of it, but is it something to do with oysters and if so, what does it taste like, could something else be substituted?

[sari]

Mmmm - I just bought some tofu yesterday, and will be using 1/2 it to make a Tofu-vegetable stir fry. This sounds like a good idea for the other half. Thanks.

BTW, Queenie, I buy oyster sauce in the supermarket in a jar near the soy sauce. Try that.

[canary]

That sounds delicious, thank you!

Now can you think of ANY substitute for the oyster sauce. They just don't sell many exotic items where I live and the stores are quite small.

TIA

[hunter]

Actually I buy "oyster-flavored" sauce but I figured those of you who avoid animal products will know you can find an animal-free version.

Oyster sauce is a very common Asian condiment, you can probably find it in a regular supermarket, but I see you're in Spain, so maybe you can't! You can probably make a reasonable substitute with a dark soy sauce and sugar, with a bit of anchovy paste. It should be sweet, a bit salty, and just a bit fishy. Oyster sauce is thick, so you'll want to add a bit more cornstarch to the recipe to make up for the soy sauce being runny.