Want Firmer, Tastier Tofu? Boil It

Silken tofu isn’t really the best option for crispy, fried chunks. But during a recent craving, it was all I had in the cupboard, so I “pressed” it in a rookie attempt to firm it up.

That, as you can see, was a silly mistake. You are not meant to press this type of tofu: I placed too much weight on the delicate block, leading it to split. (I don’t eat tofu often. Can you tell?)

My dinner plans changed to a vegan scramble out of necessity.

But as it happens, pressing might not have been the best approach for the dish I wanted, even if I’d picked an appropriate ingredient. Food scientists and regular tofu eaters often boil, instead of pressing, tofu to prep it – a method I tried and instantly loved.

Food site Epicurious said it gives tofu a “bouncy, firm texture”, adding that “the technique has long been prevalent in Chinese cooking”.

In a YouTube Short, food scientist and author of Tofu Mastery and Everyday Tofu, Wendy Luong (known online as Wendy the Food Scientist) said boiling the food in salted water is the “only… proper way to prepare tofu”

“Because of osmosis, water goes out [of the tofu], and salt goes in” as it boils. “The protein network opens up, leading to improved texture and better flavour absorption”.

Cookbook author Hetty McKinnon explained, “I think there’s a Western inclination to take the water out of tofu, but tofu really benefits from water. With this technique, the salt in the water is infusing flavour and drawing out moisture at the same time.”

Shocker: people a lot more experienced with the ingredient than I am were right.

I placed my next, post-disaster block of tofu (the method isn’t recommended for silken kinds) into very salty, boiling water for three minutes. Then, I drained it.

As little as 60 seconds of the treatment can help to firm up tofu and remove the “grassy” flavour. Instead of boiling the block in a pan, meanwhile, some pros place boiling, salted water over tofu and let it sit for 15 minutes; others brine slices.

I found that a quick boil left my tofu firmer and springier, far more capable of withstanding rapid stirring and tossing in sauce.

If it can save me, it ought to be more than capable of helping a cook who didn’t make all the errors I had – I’ll be keeping the trick in my back pocket from now on.