We like tofu. In all forms. But sometimes there's nothing quite as satisfying as tofu served up extra crispy. Just like you'd get from your favorite Chinese Take-Out Restaurant. They have woks that operate at 80,000 BTUs and deep fryers that operate at 350 degrees. But fear not, if you have a frying pan and a tablespoon of coconut oil, you can get pretty damn close to the same results - without the MSG and refined vegetable oils! So grab yourself a block of extra-firm tofu and let's get to work!
The first step to really crispy and delicious tofu is that you need to remove some of the water. A Raw Rutes Tofu Press Ninja is a great place to start. But if you're holding out on buying one of these bad boys, some clean kitchen towels and a phone book (still have one of those?) will do. But it won't be pretty.
Press that tofu for a good 30 minutes, or even an hour. Once you take it out of the press, it will still be wet to the touch, and that's okay. You're just trying to remove most of the liquid, not all of it.
Now you need to cut it up. Pick a shape you think you'd like to eat. Squares? Rectangles? Don't get too ambitious. Star shapes may be overkill. Maybe cut some triangles - Nothing toes the line between sensible and sophisticated like a triangle pieces of tofu! Plan on 1/2" to 3/4" inch thick for the pieces. Remember: A few larger pieces will be less pieces to have to flip!
Heat up your skillet to a medium(possibly even medium-high). If you're cooking a whole tofu block, add a Tablespoon of unrefined coconut oil to it.
Once it's nice and hot, (but not smoking!!!) add the tofu. And leave it. Without stirring. Without flipping. Just leave it. Your tofu should be talking to you. Squealing. Popping. Begging you to flip it. Meat Lobbists hell-bent on making tofu lame have conditioned you to that you should flip it too soon. Resist at all costs! If the tofu is spattering or splashing oil out of the pan, your heat is too high, turn it down but don't move that tofu yet. Tofu is not meat. It won't dry out on you like a turkey.
After a good five to eight minutes, take a fork and carefully peek under of your little tofu guys. Is it a straw yellow color? Then it needs longer! Is it a lovely golden brown? Does it seem.... Crispy and firm? If so, congratulations, flip those guys over!
Repeat the process on the new side. It's possible that you may need to add a little extra oil once you flip it. Use your discretion. If the pan looks dry, add a little more oil. Oil is not the enemy, when it's a healthy oil. Remember: When frying tofu, it's best to Save the Sauces until you're totally done cooking! That way your tofu crisps up nicely and your sauces don't burn or leave your tofu squishy. Once your tofu is all crisped up, remove it from the pan, wash the pan to get rid of the excess oil or any burned residue and return the tofu. Now you can toss it with sauce. General Tso's, Honey Mustard, BBQ sauce, Wing Sauce. Whatever you want!
