Vegetarian Smoked Tofu Potted "Salmon"

Crumble the smoked tofu into a bowl into rough, uneven chunks — some finer crumbles and some larger pieces give the final texture its flaky character. Finely mince the shallot, roughly chop the capers, zest and juice the lemon, and finely chop the dill.

Pulse the torn nori in a small food processor or blender until it becomes a fine powder.

Place the 75 g cubed butter in a light-coloured saucepan over medium heat. Cook, swirling the pan frequently, until the butter foams, subsides, and the milk solids turn a deep golden-brown and smell nutty, about 5–7 minutes. Remove immediately from the heat.

Pour the brown butter over the crumbled tofu. Add the nori powder, capers, caper brine, lemon juice, lemon zest, smoked paprika, white pepper, salt, crème fraîche, shallot, and dill. Stir firmly with a fork, mashing some of the tofu further while leaving visible texture — do not blend to a paste.

Taste and adjust salt, lemon, and smoked paprika, then pack the mixture tightly into four ramekins or small jars, pressing down firmly to eliminate air pockets and smooth the tops.

Cover and refrigerate for a minimum of 4 hours, or ideally overnight, to allow the flavours to develop fully.

Melt the extra 40 g butter in a small saucepan over low heat until just liquid. Skim off any white foam from the surface, then pour the clear clarified butter carefully over the top of each ramekin to create a thin, even seal.

Return the ramekins to the refrigerator until the butter seal is fully set and opaque, at least 30 minutes.

Remove from the refrigerator 10 minutes before serving. Garnish each ramekin with a small sprig of fresh dill and a thin slice of lemon. Serve with toasted sourdough or rye crispbreads.