Crispy tofu katsu

Katsu is a Japanese preparation, a panko-crusted cutlet fried and sliced, served with rice, shredded cabbage and a thick fruity brown sauce. It arrived in Japan in the late nineteenth century as an adaptation of European cutlet cooking and became something distinct.

Tofu suits the format unusually well. A pressed slab is dense, flat and even, which is exactly what a breading wants, and panko produces a crust so substantial that the texture question stops being a question at all.

This is the recipe to cook for someone whose objection to tofu is entirely about mouthfeel. It is also the most work of anything here, which is worth knowing before you start.

Ingredients

Tofu

• 1 block (14 to 16 oz) extra-firm tofu, pressed 30 minutes
• Half a teaspoon of fine salt
• A quarter cup of all-purpose flour
• 5 tablespoons water or plant milk, plus more as needed
• 1.5 cups panko breadcrumbs
• Half a cup of neutral oil for shallow frying

Katsu sauce

• 3 tablespoons ketchup
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire-style sauce
• 1 teaspoon soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• Shredded cabbage and steamed rice, to serve

Panko rather than ordinary breadcrumbs, without exception. Panko flakes are larger and drier and they stay crisp where fine crumbs go dense and greasy. This is the one ingredient with no workable substitute.

Method

1. Press and slab. Thirty minutes under weight, longer than usual, because a wet slab will steam inside its crust. Cut lengthwise into four pieces about half an inch thick. Pat every face completely dry and salt them.
2. Set up the coating. Whisk the flour and water into a smooth batter about the consistency of thin cream. Panko in a second shallow dish. A flour and water batter grips better on tofu than a dry-flour-then-egg sequence, because there is no protein on the surface for a dry coat to cling to.
3. Bread the slabs. Dip in the batter, let the excess drip off for a second or two, then press firmly into the panko on both faces and all four edges. Press hard. Loose crumbs fall off in the oil and burn.
4. Fry. Half an inch of oil in a wide pan at 350F, or hot enough that a panko crumb sizzles the instant it lands. Three to four minutes per side until deep golden. Two slabs at a time so the oil temperature holds.
5. Drain on a rack. Not on paper towel, which traps steam under the crust and softens the bottom face.
6. Make the sauce. Stir ketchup, Worcestershire-style sauce, soy sauce and sugar together. No cooking required.
7. Slice and serve. Rest two minutes, then slice each slab crosswise into strips and serve over rice with shredded cabbage and the sauce alongside.

Air fryer version

Breading needs fat to brown, so spray or brush the breaded slabs generously with oil on both faces before they go in. Air fry at 375F for sixteen to twenty minutes, turning once and re-oiling any pale patches at the halfway point.

It comes out lighter and noticeably less rich than the fried version, and the crust is thinner. It is a reasonable trade on a weeknight. The air fryer guide covers general timings.

Where it goes wrong

The crust fell off in the pan. The slabs were damp, or the panko was not pressed on firmly. Dry every face and press hard enough to feel the crumbs bed in.

It absorbed a lot of oil. The oil was not hot enough. Below about 325F a breading soaks rather than seals. Test with a crumb before the first slab goes in.

The outside browned and the inside was cold. Slabs cut too thick. Half an inch is the target.

The bottom went soft. It drained on paper. Use a rack.

Serving and keeping

Rice, finely shredded raw cabbage, and the sauce on the side rather than poured over, so the crust stays crisp until the last bite. A wedge of lemon is a worthwhile addition.

Leftovers reheat surprisingly well in a 400F oven for eight minutes, or four minutes in an air fryer. Never a microwave. Cold katsu in a sandwich with sauce and cabbage is also legitimately good and is its own dish in Japan.