Many of us like the idea of tofu better than the reality, and few of us know how to cook with it. Chef Deborah Madison's This Can't Be Tofu addresses such qualms, offering 75 recipes for this healthful (high in protein and low in salt, fat, and calories) food. Madison knows that tofu can be delicious, and provides recipes for a wide range of dishes that glorify its fresh milky taste and yielding texture--or that use it to make other foods (like mayonnaise) better for us.
Draining: Draining simply means pouring off the water that the tofu is packaged in. Pressing refers to wrapping it in cloth or paper towels or letting it sit on toweling to force out the excess water within. The reasons for pressing the water out of tofu are:
To make room for other liquids and seasonings to be absorbed, such as marinades and spice rubs
To prevent excess spattering when deep-frying tofu
To prevent diluting sauces and dressings
However, you don't have to fret about this, nor do you have to do it every time. Generally, I find that tofu can Simply sit on some toweling while I'm assembling other ingredients, and that's plenty of time to remove excess water. For tofu that's to be deep-fried, you have to do a serious pressing or the water will spurt dangerously in the oil. If you're not deep-frying tofu, look to the simpler methods that follow.
Serious Pressing: Wrap an entire piece of drained tofu in an absorbent dishtowel. Set the tofu on a cutting board and weight it down with something heavy, like a large can of tomatoes. Rest one end of the board on a plate or something else so that the board with the weighted tofu is tilted toward the sink. The excess water will drain off and flow into the sink. Leave for 20 to 30 minutes.
Towel Drying: This method is especially good for sliced tofu that's going to be shallow-fried. Use a cloth dishtowel or several layers of paper towels. Lay the sliced tofu on the toweling, cover it with a second layer, and press gently to wick off the excess moisture. Leave it like this while you prepare the rest of your ingredients.
Pan Drying: This process both dries and firms the tofu so that it won't fall apart in a stir-fry. Slice or cube the tofu without pressing or towel drying first, then put it in a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat, adding a little oil if you wish. The water in the tofu will evaporate and eventually it will brown slightly, even if you haven't added any oil to the pan. This will both dry and firm the tofu.
Oven Drying: Place sliced or cubed tofu in a very lightly oiled pie plate and cook at 375 degrees F until all the water has evaporated and the tofu has a nice, slightly firm feel to it when pressed with your finger. This will take 20 to 25 minutes at 375 degrees. After 10 to 12 minutes, the tofu will have released a lot of water. Carefully pour it off, then return the tofu to the oven to finish drying.
