Through the years several friends, customers, and even restaurant owners have asked how I make such incredible fried tofu.
It's All About Texture 🤏
In my cooking, tofu functions as a replacement for paneer in many Indian -style dishes, and for my wife's SE Asian cooking, it replaces various meat-based proteins. One thing I notice that many SE Asian restaurants back in the USA and here in Cambodia do wrong when frying tofu, is to cut it into desired shapes and fry it. When done this way the tofu ends up with a becoming a bouncing ball that's nearly impossible to bite into.
As a cook (I hate the word chef), it's all about textures, and attempts at combining crunchy and chewy usually end up as soggy if your technique is not good. I cut the tofu into long rectangular shapes and fry these tofu tubes first, low and slow with the flame to make a super crunchy exterior.
Timing Is Essential 🔪
After frying the tofu rectangles into perfect golden crispiness, I let them cool down a few minutes, but not to room temperature because the steam inside the tofu tube will eventually penetrate the crispiness and cause it to become soggy, but attempts at cutting the tofu while still hot will result in burnt fingers and more smashing than cutting.
A good serrated knife is essential to cut without smashing, all you go to do is slice into thin little pieces. I then spread the pieces out on a cutting board and let the steam evaporate to help preserves crispiness. When cut like this, there is nice crispy exterior to soak up sauces and give you a crunch, but there is also a soft center, and cut this way it doesn't fee like you are biting into a bouncing ball that will explode by shooting a hot jet of stinky tofu steam into your mouth while you're eating it.
Our Cambodian neighbors are all meat-eaters, and they recently ate a curry I made with this style of fried tofu. They remarked they don't like tofu because it stinks and the texture is weird, but the way I make it is very nice, and I take compliments from non-vegetarians with high regard.
Season Your Wok Folks 🔥
I own no aluminum or non-stick cookware, and prefer stainless steel, carbon steel, and cast iron, and I honestly think this improves the quality of all foods. It takes a little more work to care for and clean these things, but if you don't have time to season your wok every once in a while, you probably need to make some other changes in your life. Seeing the oil turn to smoke and the wok become black and slick again is super satisfying, better than any tv program.
New Kitchen Chillaxin' Area 👨🍳
The ladies return tomorrow from Siem Reap, and I hope to present them with a perfectly clean and organized house. I've even rearranged the furniture to make things more comfortable, creating a kitchen nook in the corner complete with a spectator chillaxin' zone. Usually people like to loiter near the good smells when someone's cooking, so might as well make it comfortable for them, right?
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