![]() Then you want to use some fresh paper towels to pat the tofu dry on all sides before carefully lowering the cubes into the oil with tongs. I usually try not to fill them more than half way up. As with anything you’re deep frying it’a important not to overfill the pot you’re or the oil could boil over. Transfer the sauce to a bowl and set it aside.įor the tofu, you want to preheat about 2-inches of vegetable oil in a heavy pot until it hits 360 degrees F (180 C). Unlike teriyaki sauce, you don’t want to get it super thick otherwise, the sauce won’t absorb into the fried tofu properly. Once it’s boiling, I’ll cook this for about another minute, which will burn off the alcohol while lightly thickening the sauce. Then I add the grated garlic, mirin, soy sauce, and black pepper and put this on the stove over high heat to bring it to a rolling boil. This way, you can get plenty of ginger flavor without the stringy bits in the pulp. I like to grate the ginger and then squeeze the juice out of the pulp to make the sauce. ![]() Sprinkle every side of the tofu cubes with salt and let the cubes drain on a few sheets of paper towels while you prepare the sauce. I usually cut a 1-pound block into 9 cubes. ![]() Then you want to cut the tofu into bite-size cubes. ![]() The best way to do this is to remove it from its packaging and set it on a wire rack set on a tray for at least an hour. Tofu comes packed in water, so you first want to drain it very well. Sesame seeds – Toasted sesame seeds contribute a nice nutty flavor and poppy texture that keeps each bit of the tofu interesting.You could also use chili flakes here if you want the sauce to be spicier. Black Pepper – Black pepper adds a wonderful fragrance to the sauce and a mild creeping heat.This allows you to get the flavor of the ginger without the stringy bits. Ginger can be a little fibrous, so I usually grate it to a pulp first and then squeeze it to get the ginger juice out. Aromatics – Since tofu doesn’t have a ton of flavor on its own, I like adding some aromatics to this sauce, like ginger and garlic.Soy sauce – I use a standard Japanese soy sauce for this, but other types of soy sauce will probably work for this particular sauce.You also want to avoid mirin with salt added as this will make the sauce too salty as is, and you’ll need to reduce the amount of soy sauce to compensate. When choosing mirin, stay away from ones that include corn syrup, sugar, or MSG, as these are most likely not real mirin. Since the sauce is boiled before being used for glazing the tofu, the alcohol will burn off. The rice proteins also break down into their constituent amino acids during fermentation, and these amino acids create the taste of umami in the sauce. It is made by fermenting rice with koji, which breaks down complex carbohydrates (i.e., starch) into sugar. Mirin – Mirin is a sweet Japanese alcoholic beverage that’s also commonly used as an ingredient.Salt – The salt not only lightly seasons the tofu but also helps draw out extra moisture from the tofu’s surface through osmosis.If you’re using House Foods brand, their “medium-firm” tofu is perfect for this. Unfortunately, brands aren’t very consistent with their labeling. This is the type of tofu you want for crisping, but you ideally want one that hasn’t been pressed for very long as it will make crispy tofu that has a softer, more juicy texture on the inside. How long the tofu is pressed determines how firm it is. Then the mixture is strained, and the curds are put into a mold to drain and press. The other kind of tofu is set by heating the soy milk and coagulant rapidly, which causes curds to form. It works great for simmered dishes like mapo tofu, or miso soup, but it contains too much water to crisp properly. This gives it the texture of soft egg custard. Soft and silken tofus are made from soy milk that’s had a coagulant added, and then it’s slowly heated to set. Tofu – Tofu comes in many shapes, textures, and sizes, but for crisping, you want the softest firm tofu you can find.
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