Recipes Lunch Sandwiches + Wraps Hot Sandwiches Crispy Fried Tofu Sandwich 5.0 (5) 5 Reviews Freezing and thawing extra-firm tofu and then wringing out its moisture makes the slabs more porous and receptive to the tangy pickle juice marinade in this craveworthy fried tofu sandwich. After a brief soak in pickle juice, the tofu is dredged in a spiced flour mixture, brushed with a hot sauce and mustard, and then dredged again and fried to yield the crispy, crunchy slabs for a satisfying vegetarian meal that gives fried fish sandwiches a run for their money. By Antara Sinha Antara Sinha Antara Sinha is a New York-based food writer and editor who has been working in print and digital media since 2017. Her articles and recipes have appeared in Food & Wine, Bon Appétit, MyRecipes, MSN, Yahoo News, Real Simple, Allrecipes, and Southern Living. She is an associate cooking editor at Bon Appétit. Food & Wine's Editorial Guidelines Published on July 22, 2021 Print Rate It Share Share Tweet Pin Email Photo: Photo by Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Chelsea Zimmer / Prop Styling by Lydia Pursell Total Time: 40 mins Servings: 4 Ingredients 1 (14-ounce) package extra-firm tofu, drained 1 ½ cups dill pickle juice 1 tablespoon hot sauce (such as Frank's RedHot Original Cayenne Pepper Sauce), plus more for serving 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard ⅓ cup all-purpose flour (about 1 1/2 oz.) ¼ cup cornstarch ½ teaspoon black pepper ½ teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste ½ teaspoon paprika ½ teaspoon garlic powder ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper Neutral oil (such as canola), for frying Toasted hamburger buns, spicy mayonnaise, pickles, and shredded green cabbage, for serving Directions Cut tofu slab in half horizontally to split. Cut each piece in half crosswise to make 4 (21/4- x 31/4- x 3/4-inch) slabs. Place tofu slabs in an even layer in an airtight container. Cover and freeze 12 hours. Transfer tofu to refrigerator, and let thaw 12 hours. Wrap tofu slabs in a clean kitchen towel, and press down on tofu to remove any excess liquid. Pour pickle juice into a shallow dish. Add tofu slabs, and let soak 10 minutes, flipping tofu slabs once after 5 minutes. Stir together hot sauce and mustard in a small bowl; set aside. Stir together flour, cornstarch, black pepper, salt, paprika, garlic powder, and crushed red pepper in a separate shallow bowl. Pour oil into a large, heavy skillet to a depth of 1/4 inch; heat oil over medium-high until oil is gently rippling or reaches 350°F. Remove tofu from pickle juice, and pat dry; discard pickle juice. Working with 1 tofu slab at a time, dredge tofu in flour mixture, gently pressing to adhere. Tap tofu against bowl to shake off excess; transfer to a plate. Working with 1 floured tofu slab at a time, lightly brush hot sauce mixture all over tofu. Re-dredge tofu in flour mixture, gently pressing to adhere. Tap tofu against bowl to shake off excess; transfer to a plate. Carefully add tofu slabs to hot oil; fry until crispy and golden brown, 5 to 7 minutes, using tongs to flip tofu halfway through cook time. Remove fried tofu from skillet, and place on a wire rack set inside a rimmed baking sheet. Immediately sprinkle tofu with salt to taste. Serve tofu on hamburger buns with spicy mayonnaise, pickles, cabbage, and hot sauce. Note A standard 32-ounce jar of dill pickles, such as Mt. Olive Hamburger Dill Chips, should yield roughly 1 1/2 cups dill pickle juice. Suggested Pairing Fresh, peppery Austrian white: Domäne Wachau Grüner Veltliner Federspiel Terrassen Rate it Print