Extra-Firm Tofu: Choosing a Sturdy Block for Browning and Baking
Ordinary extra-firm tofu is useful when a recipe needs sturdy slices or cubes.
Ordinary extra-firm tofu is useful when a recipe needs sturdy slices or cubes. Nasoya recommends its product for preparations such as stir-fries, nuggets, kebabs and other dishes where a firmer texture is wanted.
It is a sensible starting point for a recipe that asks you to turn pieces in a pan. It is still tofu, however, rather than a building material: handle it according to the product and method.
Read past extra-firm
Check whether the tofu is an ordinary pressed block or a silken product. Mori-Nu also sells extra-firm silken tofu, which belongs to the silken range. The same firmness wording does not establish an identical cooking ingredient.
Likewise, super-firm is a separate product description used by some manufacturers. Use the specified product when learning a recipe rather than assuming all labels with firm in them are interchangeable.
Do you still need to press it?
Extra-firm does not necessarily mean that no further draining is useful. Nasoya recommends pressing its water-packed extra-firm tofu before pan-frying or baking for the desired texture.
Its suggested setup wraps the drained block in towels on a rimmed plate, adds a flat support and a stable weight, and presses for 15–30 minutes. A tofu press is another option. Follow the particular product's directions rather than applying that routine to silken tofu.
Preparing for even cooking
Cut pieces to similar sizes so that they cook at a comparable rate. Use the recipe's seasoning and surface preparation, and give the pan or oven the heat the method specifies. Pressing alone does not complete a browning technique.
What changes if you use firm tofu?
Some recipes allow ordinary firm tofu as an alternative, but the pieces may be more delicate and the bite softer. If the preparation involves skewering, turning or crisping, choose guidance that accounts for that difference.
For a smooth blended sauce, silken tofu is often a more suitable starting point than trying to make a very dense block disappear.