Herb Crusted Tofu
1 cake extra firm tofu, sliced in 6 pieces, pressed for at least one hour – see instructions
for how to press
1/2 cup panko or organic gluten free crispy brown rice
1/4 cup Frontier Herbs Italian Herb blend
1 tablespoon Frontier Herbs Fajita spice or
to replace the fajita spice: 1 teaspoon garlic powder or granules, 1 teaspoon onion
powder, 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 cup organic white rice flour
1/4 cup organic cornstarch, potato starch or tapioca starch
1/4 cup cool water
1/2 cup organic sunflower oil
Do ahead
Press the tofu to remove some of the water.
This is important for this dish or the crust will get soggy.
Press the tofu for a minimum of 1 hour up to overnight.
To press the tofu
Put two clean dishtowels on a cookie sheet or cutting board.
Place the sliced tofu in a single layer on the towels.
Top the tofu with two more clean dishtowels.
Place another cookie sheet or cutting board on top.
Place a weight on top.
I use either a gallon jug filled with water or a cast iron skillet.
If you’re gluten free
Use organic gluten free crispy brown rice. Erewhon is my brand of choice.
Grind in a food processor till it has the look of panko.
Why do I mention brands in my recipes?
Because ingredients made by different companies are completely
different in flavor and texture. This is what I use and I know it works.
If you are using different brands you may have to play with the proportions a bit.
Prepare to dredge the tofu
You will need 3 sheet pans or large plates and one bowl large enough to dip 1 piece of tofu into.
Mix panko or crispies with the herbs and spices.
Put the panko or crispies on a plate or cookie sheet.
Put the white rice flour on another plate or cookie sheet.
Using a bowl large enough to dip a piece of tofu into,
mix the starch (corn or potato or tapioca) with cool water.
This starch and water mixture replaces egg to keep it vegan.
Have another cookie sheet or large plate on the side to put the tofu on when you’ve finished dredging it.
Do not stack the tofu when you’ve finished dredging it.
Coat the tofu first in the white rice flour, then the starch-water mixture and then the panko or crispies.
Time to cook ’em up
Heat the oil in a 12″ heavy skillet.
Set up a wire rack on a cookie sheet to drain the tofu when it’s done.
Pan fry the tofu on one side until it’s golden brown then turn
to the other side and repeat.
When the tofu is finished place the pieces on the wire rack
to drain a bit before serving.
If needed you can keep warm in a 200º oven.
Serve warm with honey mustard or mustard dill sauce.
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