Gluten-free · Nut-free

 

If you’ve ever wanted to make your tofu extra extra crispy, THIS is the ultimate method.

The secret is…. freezing it!

How is tofu made?

Tofu is made from soy milk, which is then coagulated and then pressed into the shape of a block. The firmness of the tofu depends on the amount of water it contains. There’s extra-soft (contains the most amount of water), soft, firm, and extra-firm tofu (contains the least amount of water).

What happens when you freeze tofu

When tofu is frozen, ice crystals are formed from the water that it contains and they puncture the tofu’s cell walls. When thawed, the ice crystals become water again, but the cell walls are already punctured, so a lot of water comes out of the tofu. And what happens when we take the water out of tofu? It becomes more like a sponge and much easier to get crispy!

More specifically, the bonds between protein and water have been broken and have turned into protein and protein bonds. This makes the tofu gummier, chewier, and spongier.

Frozen tofu or in translated from the Chinese “thousand layer tofu” and in Japanese “kori-tofu”.

Freezing the tofu will allow it to absorb more flavors (think marinades) and make it much easier to crisp up in the oven or pan. It’s an absolute must in your cooking!

In the recipe below I’ll be showing you a very simple recipe for tomato tofu to demonstrate how delicious and crispy this technique makes the tofu. Make sure to scroll down and watch the video to see the whole process!

How to Freeze Tofu

You can either slice your tofu in 1” slices before freezing to speed up the process or freeze the whole block.

1. Place your sliced or block of tofu on a sheet tray lined with parchment paper and freeze overnight, or until completely frozen.

1. The next day, transfer the tofu from the freezer to the fridge to thaw slowly. Once completely thawed (this might take a few hours, depending on how big your slices or block of tofu are), take them out of the fridge and over a bowl, squeeze as much water as you can out of it without breaking it. If you’re in a rush, leave the tofu to thaw outside the fridge at room temperature.

2. Cut, marinate or store the tofu in an airtight container.

TIP: If marinating the tofu, I’d recommend marinating for at least 2 hours so that the tofu can suck up as much marinade as possible.

Equipment

For this crispy tofu, you’re going to need:

• 1 sheet tray & parchment paper

• Cutting board 

• Chef’s knife 

Uses

Freezing tofu makes it excellent for frying, sautéeing, marinating, and baking. Use crispy tofu:

• As an appetizer

• In tacos

• In soups

• In stews (it will absorb all the flavor of the stew)

• In salads

watch the video here:

 

Tomato & Tamari Frozen Tofu

Serves: 2

Ingredients

40 ml olive oil

1 block firm tofu, frozen and thawed, diced large

10g garlic ( 2 cloves), sliced 

150g canned Italian crushed tomatoes

Tamari, to taste 

2 scallion tops, thinly sliced on a bias

Freshly-squeezed lemon juice, to taste 

Method

1. Heat a large pan on medium flame. Add half of the olive oil and tofu. Cook for 5 minutes or until the tofu starts becoming golden. Take it out of the pan and set aside on a plate.

2. In the same pan, add the other half of the olive oil and the garlic. Cook on low flame for 3 minutes or until the garlic has become golden brown. Add tomatoes, cook for 2 minutes, and season with a little bit of tamari to taste.

3. Add tofu into the sauce and cook on medium flame for 5- 8 minutes, or until the sauce has stuck to the tofu. This will evaporate all the water from the tomatoes, concentrating the flavors even more.

4. Add scallions and mix to combine. Taste and adjust seasoning with lemon juice and more tamari if desired.