Kentucky Fried Tofu

The family suggested this be called KFT, Karma Fried Tofu.  A play on the Colonel Sanders finger lickin’ good bucket.  And while it doesn’t even resemble a true Kentucky dish, our crew thought it was fabulous and we’ll certainly put it on our rotation of good eats.  The key to a good chicken fried tofu is to first freeze the beancurd at least over night.  And then do your darndest to get all the liquid out of it before the buttermilk dredge.  Vegan options are listed in the recipe.  We served dinner tonight with a fresh slaw made with cabbage, carrot and apple.  It paired perfectly with the crunch of the cutlet and the brioche buns.

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Kentucky Fried Tofu

Cooking Method: fried

Difficulty: Medium Prep Time 20 min Cook Time 30 min Total Time 50 mins

Servings: 10

Ingredients

Servings

• 4 pounds Extra Firm Tofu (four tubs is fine, even if they are 14 oz each)
• 4 Large Eggs
• 2 cups Buttermilk
• 2 cups Unbleached Flour
• 1 tablespoon Paprika
• 1 teaspoon Garlic Powder
• Salt and Pepper and Spices to taste (You know what you like on fried chicken, chili powder, onion powder, add hot sauce to the buttermilk if you like it like that.)
• 3 tablespoons Brown Sugar
• 4 tablespoons Butter
• 1 teaspoon Paprika (Hot sauce would be perfect here for the final dip or drizzle.)

Instructions

1. Get your dredge ready. In a large bowl combine your flour and seasonings (e.g. paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, salt and pepper, chili powder, or sage and thyme) In another container combine buttermilk, eggs and hot sauce if you like it like that ♪ If you want to make this a vegan meal, you can substitute vegan sour cream 1:1 ratio with water. Or use 2 cups soymilk with 2 TBL vinegar, and let sit for 10 minutes. Almond milk would work fine too.
   
2. Prepare tofu: For the best result, freeze the tofu at least a day in advance and let thaw in the refrigerator. I rarely remember to take my tofu out with sufficient time to thaw, so I place it in a microwave safe dish on high for five minutes. Place the tofu bricks on paper towels or lint free kitchen towels and press the moisture out. I leaned on a baking sheet that I placed on top. Be careful not to tear the tofu ... tho uneven bits make it look even more like chicken nuggets so don't worry if a chunk falls off. Slice the drained tofu into five cutlets.
   
3. Get your cast iron deep fry pan super hot and fill with 1-2 inches of cooking oil of your choice. Dip the tofu into the buttermilk batter and then coat with the seasoned flour. Fry on each side 2-3 minutes or until golden brown.
   
4. Melt the butter, or use a bit of your cooking oil while still hot and mix with brown sugar and spices. And hot sauce, chili poweder, paprika or whatever flavors you and your family like. Dip each hot piece of chicken in the glaze or drizzle over top right before serving.