Superiority Burger's Crispy Fried Tofu Sandwich
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(adapted from the “The Superiority Burger Cookbook” )
Ingredients:
For the marinated tofu:
1 (14-ounce) package extra-firm tofu
1 ½ cups pickle juice from a 24 ounce jar
1-3 teaspoons hot sauce
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 Tablespoon honey
2 tablespoons grapeseed, olive or another neutral oil
For the fried tofu:
½ cup Dijon mustard
1/4 cup water
2 cups all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
½ teaspoon onion powder
½ teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon ground cayenne
1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more as needed
1 teaspoon black pepper
Grapeseed oil, canola or other neutral oil, for frying
To assemble:
6 potato buns or other soft rolls
Vegan mayonnaise, ketchup and hot sauce
bibb lettuce leaves, pickle chips and sliced tomatoes
Make the marinated tofu:
Drain and then cut the longer side of the tofu crosswise into two rectangles that are each about 2 1/2 inches wide and 4 inches long. Stand the rectangle up on its side and slice each rectangle into three 1/2-inch thick slabs. Place them on a microwavable plate and microwave for 1 1/2 -2 minutes. Drain off the accumulated water and pat dry with paper towels. Alternatively, you could line a baking sheet with paper towels or a clean kitchen towel, and arrange the slices in a single layer on the baking sheet. Cover them with more towels, and gently press each piece to extract most of the moisture.
In a large bowl, combine the pickle juice, hot sauce, and mustard. Heat the oil in a large nonstick or cast-iron skillet over high heat until shimmering. Sear the tofu to form a golden-brown crust, 4 to 5 minutes per side. Immediately drop the hot tofu into the pickle juice mixture. Refrigerate and let the tofu marinate for at least a few hours, or even overnight.
Make the fried tofu:
In a medium shallow bowl, stir the mustard with 1/4 cup water until it’s the consistency of heavy cream and set aside. In a large shallow bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, spices, salt and pepper.
In a Dutch oven or sturdy pot, heat 2 inches of oil over medium heat and set a wire rack on top of a baking sheet. Remove the tofu from the brine and pat dry. Dip the tofu in the mustard mixture, turning until coated all over, then the flour mixture; dip it again in the mustard then flour until twice coated. When the oil temperature reaches 350 degrees, carefully place the battered tofu into the hot oil and fry, flipping as needed, until golden brown, about 5 minutes. Transfer the fried tofu to the wire rack and sprinkle with a little salt.
To serve, toast the buns and spread generously with mayo and some ketchup and a shake of hot sauce, if desired. Top with fried tofu, tomato, dill pickles, and lettuce. Serve immediately.
Makes 6 sandwiches. YUM!
LESSONS Learned:
1. Make sure to get extra-firm tofu, not a softer kind.
2. A faster way to remove the water from the tofu is to microwave the slices for a minute or 2, which will release a lot of water that you can simply pour off. Then you can blot the tofu dry from there.
3. Not wanting to waste it, I re-use the pickle juice marinade to marinate another batch of tofu slices.
4. Frying in hot oil is serious business. So be careful.