Crispy Tofu Fingers with Sweet Chili Sauce - Chefs secret in cooking

JD

October 02, 2019

0

healthy-food, tasty-food-recipe

Pan frying is one of our favorite ways to prepare tofu. It becomes crispy on the outside and creamy within, perfect for dipping into a sauce, as we do here, or adding to salads (see the variation). To ensure the tofu got
nice and crisp, we first drained it thoroughly. A coating of cornstarch and cornmeal gave us a crunchy, golden-brown crust that paired perfectly with a quick spicy-sweet chili sauce. We prefer the softer, creamier
texture of soft tofu here for the perfect contrast between creamy interior and crispy exterior. Medium-firm, firm, or extra-firm tofu will also work, but will taste drier. You can find Asian chili-garlic sauce in Asian markets or the international aisle of most supermarkets. Be sure to handle the tofu gently and pat it dry thoroughly before seasoning and coating.

Serves: 4
Total Time: 45 minutes

Ingredients

28 ounces soft tofu
4 teaspoons plus ¾ cup cornstarch
½ cup water
½ cup rice vinegar
6 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons Asian chili-garlic sauce
¼ cup cornmeal
Salt and pepper
¾ cup vegetable oil

Procedure

1. Slice tofu crosswise into ¾-inch-thick slabs, then slice each slab into 3 fingers. Arrange tofu on paper towel–lined baking sheet and let sit for 20 minutes to drain, then gently pat tofu dry with paper towels.
2. Meanwhile, whisk 4 teaspoons cornstarch, water, vinegar, sugar, and chili-garlic sauce together in small saucepan. Bring to simmer over medium-high heat and cook, whisking constantly, until thickened, about 4 minutes. Remove sauce from heat and cover to keep warm.
3. Set wire rack in rimmed baking sheet. Combine remaining ¾ cup cornstarch and cornmeal in shallow dish. Season tofu with salt and pepper. Coat tofu thoroughly with cornstarch mixture a few pieces at a time, pressing gently to adhere. Transfer to prepared rack.
4. Heat oil in 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Working in 2 batches, fry tofu, turning as needed, until crisp and golden on all sides, about 4 minutes. Gently lift tofu from oil, letting excess oil drip back into skillet, and transfer to paper towel–lined plate to drain. Serve with sauce.

Variation

Crispy Tofu and Warm Cabbage Salad

Skip step 2, omitting dipping sauce. Instead, whisk 3 tablespoons vegetable oil, 5 tablespoons rice vinegar, 2 tablespoons soy sauce, 2 tablespoons sugar, and 1–2 teaspoons Asian chili-garlic sauce in bowl, cover, and microwave until simmering, 1 to 2 minutes. Reserve 2 tablespoons dressing and toss remainder with 1 (14-ounce) bag green coleslaw mix, ¾ cup chopped dry-roasted peanuts, 4 thinly sliced scallions, ½ cup fresh cilantro leaves, and ½ cup chopped fresh mint. Drizzle tofu with reserved dressing; serve with salad.

SECRETS OF TERRIFIC TOFU

Most tofu comes stored in water, and since it’s quite porous, it needs to be drained before cooking. You could just pat tofu dry, but taking time to drain it for 20 minutes removes excess moisture that can make dishes bland and watery. Plus, the more water you remove, the more flavor the tofu can soak up from sauces or other ingredients added during cooking. Coating the tofu in cornstarch helps absorb exuded moisture and ensures a crispy exterior and better browning. As an ingredient, tofu takes to a wide variety of preparations. Crispy tofu stars in our Farro Bowls with Tofu, Mushrooms, and Spinach, and Tofu Banh Mi. We scramble it like eggs in Tofu Scramble with Herbs, and stir-fry it to make Stir-Fried Tofu and Bok Choy and Spicy Tofu and Basil Lettuce Cups. It even tastes great raw if marinated first in a flavorful dressing, as in our Marinated Tofu and Vegetable Salad.