Fry tofu golden and crisp without splatter or sticking: three small steps

Fried tofu is a familiar dish in Northern Vietnamese meals, and also the one cooks fear most: oil spits all over the stove, the tofu sticks to the pan and breaks when you turn it. Three small steps give you evenly golden pieces with a crisp skin and a soft centre.

Step 1: dry the tofu thoroughly

Oil splatters mostly because water on the surface meets hot oil. Cut the tofu into pieces, lay them on a clean cloth or paper towels, press lightly and leave 10 to 15 minutes for the water to drain. Pat the surface dry once more just before it goes into the pan.

Step 2: soak it in lightly salted water

Soak the pieces in a bowl of warm water with a little salt for about 10 minutes, then lift out and pat dry. Salt firms the skin and seasons it, so the pieces break less when turned. Remember to dry them well afterwards.

Step 3: hot pan, enough oil, do not flip early

1. Pour oil until it comes about halfway up the tofu. Heat until a chopstick dipped in sends small bubbles around its tip.
2. Lower the tofu in gently, one piece at a time, with space between. An overcrowded pan cools the oil and the tofu soaks it up and turns soggy.
3. Leave it alone for 3 to 4 minutes so the crust sets before turning. Flip too early and the skin sticks and tears.
4. Fry the other side 3 to 4 minutes until golden, then drain on paper towels.

Use a non-stick or well-heated cast iron pan. If the tofu still sticks, the oil was usually not hot enough when it went in, or the pieces were still wet.

Fried tofu is crispiest when eaten hot. For sauced dishes, such as tofu in tomato sauce, fry first, add it to the sauce last and turn off the heat early so the crust does not go soft.

Read the meal with tofu in tomato sauce