On very rare occasions, I deem an idea worthy of me pulling out my deep frying skills. Sometimes it works out pretty well (a donut party), sometimes it’s not such a success (some doomed to’fish) and then very rarely, almost never, it’s an absolute revelation (like today)! Usually dinner is something I want to put together fifteen minutes before it’s time to eat, but I had the idea early in the morning and I got it going as soon as I could. Thanks a lot, KFC commercial!
The result was everything I was dreaming of. I am a believer in the idea that tofu can do almost anything, but even this surprised me! It was juicy. You know? In that special way that KFC is. In that way you can’t really replicate in vegan food – until today. And the crispy breading?! Thick, crunchy, well-seasoned. The batter even builds up, so you get bonus pockets of crispy goodness. I suppose I could have made some biscuits, but we couldn’t have eaten them with all the other food we had to eat anyways. Maybe you’re lucky enough to feed people who can eat more, though. There’s a few steps to the tofu, (brine soak, buttermilk soak, breading, frying, eating) but take heart, they’re all simple. Most of the ingredients are spices, anyways. I served it with thick country cream gravy, the fluffiest mashed potatoes, a refreshing coleslaw and corn on the cob. Did I mention the revelation of juicy tofu?
Southern Fried Tofu
Makes 12 pieces
2 lbs extra firm tofu, cut into 12 pieces
Brine
3 tablespoons salt
1/2 cup pineapple juice
2 tablespoons tamari (or soy sauce)
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
Water, to completely cover the tofu (~10 cups)
Combine all ingredients in a large bowl. Cover and marinate in the fridge for at least 4 hours. Drain.
Buttermilk Mixture
2 tablespoons boxed egg replacer + 3/4 cup water, mixed well
2 cups unsweetened non-dairy milk
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
Place the marinated tofu in the buttermilk mixture. It may not cover all the tofu, but you can move it around periodically to ensure it all has a chance to soak. In the meantime, prepare your breading mixture and oil for frying.
Breading Mixture and Assembly
2 cups all purpose flour (Gluten-Free Flour)
2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
2 1/2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon sugar
3/4 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon rosemary
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon savoury
1/2 teaspoon thyme
1/2 teaspoon sage
1/2 teaspoon dill
1/2 teaspoon marjoram
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon coriander
Pinch of cayenne pepper, or more to taste
Pinch of red pepper flakes, or more to taste
Oil, enough for deep frying
Whisk all ingredients together in a large bowl. In a large, heavy bottomed pan with a thermometer attached, heat enough oil to deep fry several pieces of tofu to 350 F. You’re going to want to keep the temperature between 350 and 375 F, so keep an eye on the thermometer throughout the cooking process. Remove the tofu from the buttermilk mixture and set aside. Dredge each piece in the flour mixture, back in the buttermilk and then in the flour mixture again. Fry for about 4 minutes, until the batter has turned that perfect golden-brown colour. Remove from the oil with a slotted spoon and place on paper towel. You can put the fried pieces in a warm oven (~200 F), if you’re concerned about the speed of your frying to keep them warm.
Fluffiest Mashed Potatoes
Serves 8
12 medium red potatoes, peeled and quartered
1 teaspoon salt
3 cloves garlic, peeled
1/2 – 3/4 cup unsweetened non-dairy milk, warmed
1/4 cup non-dairy margarine
Place the potatoes in a large pot, cover with cold water, add salt and garlic and bring to a boil. Simmer until the potatoes are fork-tender. Drain and run the potatoes through a potato ricer or a food mill. Add the warmed non-dairy milk and the butter and mash to incorporate. Serve hot.
Country Cream Onion Gravy
Makes ~3 cups
1/4 cup non-dairy margarine
1 small yellow onion, peeled and diced
1/2 cup cremini or button mushrooms, diced
1/4 cup all-purpose flour (Gluten-Free Flour)
1 teaspoon frying oil, reserved from frying the tofu
3 cups onion stock (substitute your stock of choice), warmed
1 cup heavy non-dairy cream (I used a rice cream)
Salt and freshly cracked black pepper, to taste
Heat the non-dairy margarine in a skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and mushroom and sautee until the onions are translucent and the mushrooms have released their juices and started to brown. Add the flour and stir so the onions and mushrooms are evenly coated. Stir for a couple of minutes, and start to whisk in the stock. Whisk until smooth and allow to almost come to a boil. Whisk in the cream, taste for seasoning and serve hot.
Savoy Cabbage Coleslaw
Serves 4
2 cups savoy cabbage, shredded
1/2 fennel heart, sliced very thin
2 stalks celery, sliced very thin
1 watermelon radish, peeled and shredded
2 tablespoons sweet onion, peeled and diced
1 medium carrot, peeled and diced
1 tablespoon fresh tarragon, chopped
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, more to taste
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar, more to taste
1/4 teaspoon salt, more to taste
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Pinch of granulated sugar
Combine all ingredients in a large bowl. Let sit for a few minutes, taste for seasoning and adjust to your taste.
I just made the fried tofu, potatoes and gravy. Mind. Blown. It was so good! Thanks for sharing what is now my new favorite recipe.
Hey! Thanks! It was a lot of fun to develop the recipes, too!
I have a tofu press – can (should) Inise it before to get all the water out of the brick?
I definitely did not press my tofu beforehand. I never do. I was going for something juicy, but if you prefer pressed tofu, I say go for it!
I’ve had the pleasure of eating this beautiful spread and I can’t stop coming back to this particular page because of that day O_O I have missing ingredients here and there but I’m determined to replicate the taste of this wonderful meal.
Is there anyway to do this without deep frying, but pan frying or baking?
The best you might try is shallow frying them, but the batter is very thick and won’t bake or pan-fry in a way that is at all palatable.
Thank you for a quick response
Hi, what kind of flavor does the marinade impart to the tofu? I’m worried that the pineapple will make it too sweet for my taste and am also wondering about the Asian flavors in a Southern-inspired dish. Thank you!
Hello, the pineapple adds no flavour or sweeetness whatsoever. It contains an enzyme that helps start breaking down the tofu, allowing the brine to penetrate it. The soy sauce is also not for flavour, so much as umami which is missing from tofu and necessary to make a truly good meat imitation.
This sounds incredible, but pineapple (+ the juice) makes me sick. Do you have any ideas for how to replace the pineapple?
The pineapple juice has an enzyme that helps break down the tofu, so it becomes juicy. The only thing I can think that might do the same is papaya juice. If not possible, I think you can leave the juice out entirely and have a slightly different version of the recipe – still crispy and yummy just without the juicy tofu under it all. There’s also something called meat tenderizer — similar process, you might look into a little of that sprinkled on the tofu before soaking it in the brine.
Wow – this is amazing! My partner made this for me twice now. We made a double batch and cut some of the tofu bits bigger to ‘burger’ size and have fried them off, let them cool and put them in the freezer for another time.
We didnt have any pineapple juice but used lime juice (not fresh, just concentrate from a bottle) and it worked fine. The tofu tastes so tender, you really have to try it to believe it!
I am so thrilled to hear this! Also, good to know about the lime juice 🙂
I was super excited about this recipe, as the photo looks amazing and I could taste the southern deliciousness as I was making it. But after frying it for 5-7 minutes each piece, the inside was still way too mushy my my liking. So I fried it some more… nope. Not the solution. So I started taking out of the fryer and placed it on a baking sheet to see if that would help dry it out. So far, no dice. So I am sitting here with my oven on 250*F and praying that I don’t have to salvage dinner with a Subway run. 🙁
Any ideas what I might have done wrong? I even pressed my tofu for 45 minutes prior to starting the recipe (because I have goofed it up in the past and that was the step I had missed). Thanks
Hey there, it sounds like your oil isn’t hot enough. The oil should be at 350 F, or thereabouts. I also don’t press the tofu at all, and this particular recipe is brined to take on both flavour and moisture. 250 F in an oven might keep something warm, but it won’t cook anything and is included in the recipe to help keep the pieces that are already fried warm while you finish up. I hope that helps!
Hello can I use regular vegetable oil
Yep, anything with a high smoke point is fine.
I made this for dinner last night – so much food! It was all amazing. I did think the coleslaw needed more of a dressing though. It was very dry. I whipped up a vinegar-mustard sauce to add to it which was very nice!
I don’t like anything even close to heavily dressed, so I’m not surprised it’s not to everyone’s tastes! I’m making it soon for a party, so I will double check my measurements via my guests, though!
I’m definitely trying this. Newly vegan, I miss good fried chicken. Could be a Godsend.