The Countertop Oven Class

Matthew Woolen is a master pastry chef and has worked in a variety of Seattle restaurants, including gastropub Old Sage, Zhu Dang, and a gluten-free restaurant called Capitol Cider.

Matthew Woolen

With a few tricks, you can transform a block of tofu into amazingly crispy, crunchy, oh-so-craveable nuggets by using an air fryer.The challenge with getting tofu ultra-crispy is its water content. Pressing the tofu first is standard practice for getting rid of some of its moisture, but it will make it more dense. To level up the eating experience, we tear the tofu (instead of cutting it into cubes), which increases its surface area by creating nooks and crannies. More surface area means more of the tofu is exposed to the super convection in the air fryer. To get the nuggets even crispier, we dust them with a savory, spicy, salty, peppery seasoning blend inspired by traditional salt and pepper squid or chicken, but it contains a secret ingredient: baking powder. Baking powder raises the pH of the surface, which encourages Maillard browning, and it also pulls moisture from the tofu, further drying out the surface and making the air frying more efficient, which yields maximum crispiness. We keep things simple by using store-bought tofu, but you can step it up by <a href="https://www.chefsteps.com/activities/killer-tofu-with-andrea-nguyen">making your own</a>. Firm tofu is our first choice, but extra-firm and medium types will work here, too.

Crispy Air-Fried Tofu