Step 1

Place the tofu on a parchment-lined sheet pan in a single layer. Freeze until solid, about 2 hours (after 2 hours, transfer tofu pieces to an airtight container and freeze indefinitely).

Step 2

Remove the tofu from the freezer and place half on a paper towel-lined plate. Defrost tofu using the “defrost” setting of the microwave in 2-minute intervals until totally defrosted, 6 to 8 minutes (alternatively, leave out at room temperature, sitting on a kitchen towel, until totally defrosted, 2 to 4 hours). Repeat with second half. Press tofu with a kitchen towel to absorb excess water. Season the pieces of tofu evenly with salt.

Step 3

While defrosting tofu, in a shallow bowl, whisk together the milk and apple cider vinegar and let sit for at least 5 minutes, then stir in soy sauce. In another shallow bowl, whisk together panko, nutritional yeast, garlic powder, sesame seeds, paprika and 2 teaspoons salt. Place cornstarch in another shallow bowl.

Step 4

Place a large plate or sheet pan near your work surface and line another sheet pan with paper towels. Working with a few pieces of tofu at a time, toss the tofu in the cornstarch and tap off excess. Dunk in the milk mixture and let excess drip off, then toss in the panko mixture, pressing to adhere coating all over. Place coated nuggets on the large plate or sheet pan.

Step 5

Heat ½ cup oil in a medium nonstick skillet over medium-high until shimmering. Fry the nuggets in batches of about 8 for 5 to 6 minutes, turning the nuggets every 2 minutes or so, until deeply golden. Transfer to the paper towel-lined sheet pan and sprinkle with more kosher salt. Use a fine mesh skimmer to remove any burning coating from the pan, then repeat with remaining nuggets (it should take about 4 batches total). Serve warm with preferred condiments.

Step 6

Though they won’t be as crispy as the originals, leftovers can be stored in an airtight container and reheated on a parchment-lined sheet pan in a 400 F oven for 5 to -10 minutes.