I had this in mind while putting together the previous post, but decided it merits a more In-depth post of its own.
It's not an ingredient you can buy ready to use; rather it's one you have to prepare yourself.
I'm talking frozen tofu (冻豆腐 - dòng dòu fu). No. It's not like ice cream. It isn't eaten frozen.
This is regular firm tofu which said been frozen then thawed. As the tofu freezes, ice crystals form inside. These melt and the liquid drains away as the tofu defrosts, leaving air pockets which, when you cook with it, fill up sponge-like with any liquids in your dish, taking on their flavour.
The freezing then thawing process transforms it, making it denser and chewy as well as making it spongy. The colour also changes, becoming darker and yellowish. The appearance and texture is similar to tht of seitan (processed wheat gluten), but has the advantage of being gluten-free.
Care should be taken if using it in hotpots as the liquid in the tofu will be boiling hot. Let it cool a little before biting into it.
Besides being used in hotpots, frozen and defrosted tofu can be used in any sauced dish where it will soak up and take on flavours.
It can also be stir-fried, which makes it meaty and crispy.
To prepare frozen tofu simply put it in the freezer for 24 hours. You can do this in the original packaging or repack it to suit yourself. It can be kept frozen for up to three months.
The Woks of Life website suggests steaming the tofu for twenty minutes before freezing, but they do a lot of strange things. Totally unnecessary.
Defrost it before use. You can do this on the kitchen counter or in the refrigerator as usual. I don't recommend using a microwave. Some sites say it's OK but I've had mixed results.
Do not re-freeze after thawing.
