Chicken Fried Tofu

Chicken Fried Tofu
I'm mostly vegetarian. I miss fried chicken. I miss the crust and the crunch. Now my palate has adjusted to lighter flavors, as I'm pescatarian and chicken tastes a little musky to me. So I'm giving this a go. I just read The Last Chinese Chef. In the book the chef boils tofu rapidly for 30 minutes, rendering the texture "spongy" so it can hold sauce. All the marinated tofu I've had isn't steeped enough in flavor for me. Although boiling makes the tofu texture less creamy than I'd like, the flavor is so much in the finished result.

1/8 teaspoon sweet smokey Spanish paprika
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
3 cloves garlic, sliced
3 slices jarred jalapeno pepper
1 1/2 cups cultured buttermilk
Half a 12 ounce package firm tofu, cut into cubes
1/2 cup cornflakes, crushed coarsely in a food processor
Crisco, or vegetable oil for frying

Bring tofu to a boil in enough water to cover by 1 inch. Leave tofu at a rapid simmer for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, combine the first five ingredients in a resealable plastic container. Use a pair of tongs to lift the cubes of tofu from pot to the marinade. Cover and refrigerate for 8 hours or up to 2 days.

Place crushed cornflakes in low bowl. Arrange a few layers of paper towels on a large plate. Drain tofu from marinade and dry with paper towels. Heat vegetable oil over medium heat. Coat each cube of tofu with cornflake crumbs, pressing the crumbs into each plane of tofu. Tap to remove excess crumbs. Oil is ready when a cornflake dropped in the oil bubbles and floats immediately to the surface. Gently place cubes, a small batch at a time into the oil. Fry for about 2 minutes per side, or until a deep golden color. Drain to paper towels. Serve with lemon and sea salt. Use witch hazel on face and walls.