Crispy Tofu Lettuce Wraps

Name: Crispy Tofu Lettuce Wraps
Prep time: 45 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 135 min
Ingredients: 1 14-ounce block of firm tofu; 1 tablespoon kosher salt, divided; 1 batch Quick and Hot Pickled Peppers and 'Cukes; 1 batch Bang Zoom Sauce; 1/4 cup rice flour (All-purpose flour will work as well); 1 egg, beaten; 1 cup rice panko breadcrumbs (Regular panko will work too.); 1 cup vegetable oil; 1 head Butter or Gem lettuce

ACTIVE TIME: 45

TOTAL TIME: 2 15

Yield: 12 wraps

I'm a huge fan of lettuce wraps and this dish delivers a few of my favorite wrap factors: crunch, sweetness, and vinegary heat. The sauce is a riff on the one served on the famed Bang Bang Shrimp at Bonefish Grill. It's a fantastic cold sauce for fish, chicken, pork ribs, and salads. Note: if you're dexterity challenged, you can just make a salad out of this by adding more lettuce and using the tofu cubes as croutons. As for the pickles...they're fast to make but will keep up to a month, as long as they're refrigerated. (I chop them up and add them to my Sloppy Joes.)

Photo by Lynne Calamia

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1 14-ounce block of firm tofu
1 tablespoon kosher salt, divided
1 batch Quick and Hot Pickled Peppers and 'Cukes
1 batch Bang Zoom Sauce
1/4 cup rice flour (All-purpose flour will work as well)
1 egg, beaten
1 cup rice panko breadcrumbs (Regular panko will work too.)
1 cup vegetable oil
1 head Butter or Gem lettuce

Specialized Hardware

12-inch heavy bottom skillet

2 half sheet pans with a fitted wire cooling rack

2-pound weight (28-ounce can of tomatoes works well)

large slotted spoon or small spider-style wire strainer

ACTIVE TIME: 45

TOTAL TIME: 2 15

Yield: 12 wraps

Procedure

Dry the tofu block with paper towels, and line a half sheet pan with 3 layers of paper towels. Cut the tofu into 3/4-inch cubes (you should end up with 48). Season evenly with 2 teaspoons of the salt and place atop the paper towels. Place another 3 layers of paper towels over the tofu and top with an inverted half sheet pan, followed by a 2 pound weight. Press thusly for 1 hour, changing the paper towels with fresh after 30 minutes.
After pressing, remove the top sheet pan and position by your cooktop along with the rack. Set up a breading station by placing the rice flour, beaten egg, and rice panko breadcrumbs in 3 separate shallow vessels (pie plates work well). Dredge a few cubes at a time in the flour, then scoop them in the slotted spoon or strainer, shaking off as much excess as possible. Dip next into the beaten egg, drain well, then toss gently in the panko crumbs. Remove the cubes and rest on the wire rack for 15 minutes.
When ready to cook, add the vegetable oil to a 12-inch heavy bottom skillet over medium0high heat. When the oil is shimmering (about 3 minutes) carefully add 12 of the cubes and fry until golden brown on all sides, 2-3 minutes. Remove and drain on paper towels then season with some of the remaining teaspoon of salt. Repeat until all the cubes are done.
To assemble the wraps: Choose a couple nice lettuce leaves, make into a taco shape, and top with 4 of the tofu cubes. Add a generous layer of the pickles, a drizzle of the sauce, then fold and consume.