Tofu Émincé with Soy Cream and Morels

Place the dried morels in a bowl and cover with the warm water. Slice the pressed tofu into 1cm strips — if you haven't pressed it already, wrap it in a clean towel under a weight for at least an hour beforehand so it sears rather than steams. Mince the shallots and garlic. Measure out all remaining ingredients.

Soak the morels for 30 minutes. Morels are toxic raw or undercooked, so this soak is only the first stage — they must still be thoroughly cooked later. Lift them out, squeeze gently, and roughly chop any large pieces. Strain the soaking liquor through a fine sieve lined with kitchen paper and reserve.

Heat the neutral oil in a wide skillet over high heat until shimmering. Add the tofu strips in a single layer and sear without moving for 4-5 minutes until deep golden on one side, then flip and sear for a further 3 minutes. Remove and set aside.

Reduce the heat to medium. Add the vegan butter to the same pan and cook the shallots for 3-4 minutes, stirring occasionally, until completely soft and translucent.

Add the garlic and thyme and cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly, until fragrant.

Add the drained morels and cook for 2 minutes, stirring, until they begin to colour lightly at the edges — this thorough cooking is essential, as morels remain toxic if only lightly warmed.

Pour in the white wine and cook for 2-3 minutes, scraping up any browned bits from the base of the pan, until the wine is almost fully reduced.

Add the reserved morel soaking liquor and cook for 3-4 minutes until reduced by half and the sauce is deeply aromatic.

Stir in the soy cream, Dijon mustard, and soy sauce. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sauce coats the back of a spoon.

Return the seared tofu to the pan, nestle the strips into the sauce, and warm through for 2 minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and white pepper. Scatter over the chopped parsley and serve immediately.