08.23.11_Tofu Buffalo "Wings"

Phillip had found this recipe for Tofu Buffalo "Wings" and we thought it might be a good thing to try since we both love hot wings and obviously could not have them this month. I liked the idea of using the tofu differently since all we had done so far was make Asian dishes with it so I was interested to see how frying the tofu would go. Even though the recipe called for firm I bought the extra firm after having experimented with both. As always with working with the tofu, I pressed it to get as much water out as possible. The recipe said you could also freeze the tofu to get the chewier texture but I had not planned enough ahead for this and decided to just go ahead and make it anyway.

I was nervous that once I dropped the tofu into the hot oil it would just fall apart because it was starting to crumble a little just from cutting it. I also did not have a bag to shake the tofu in to fully coat with the corn starch and cayenne mix. I ended up just tossing each piece of tofu in the dry mix with my hands to make sure it was all coated. After dropping the tofu into the mix it felt much firmer and less likely to fall apart. I put about half the tofu into the oil and let it fry on one side for about two minutes or so. I was surprised how easily the tofu flipped over in the pan and that it did not stick at all. The first batch I did came out much crispier than the second. I think I was less patient with the second batch and the oil was also starting to spatter so I just wanted to be done with it.
The "wings" were pretty good. The crunchiest ones were definitely the best so if I were to make them again I would try to be patient and let them fry a little longer (I have a really hard time being in the kitchen but not doing anything). Also, as the recipe states you can easily make this meal vegan by subbing vegan margarine and ranch or make it healthier by baking the "wings" instead of frying them. In a dream world I would have a deep fryer for these bad boys because then they would have been delicious.