Agedashi Tofu
Greg Dunmore
Servings
4
I've always had a soft spot for agedashi tofu, but it took on new meaning when it became one of my son's favorite dishes. Lightly fried tofu served in a delicate dashi broth may sound simple, but when made with quality ingredients, it's one of the most comforting and elegant dishes in Japanese cooking.
Ingredients
- 2 cups dashi
-
2 teaspoons Suehiro Usukuchi Soy Sauce
-
2 teaspoons Nitto Jozo White Tamari
- 2 teaspoons mirin
- 2 teaspoons Morino Yoshino Kudzu Starch
- 2 teaspoons water
-
1 lb. firm tofu
- 1 cup potato starch
- Neutral oil for frying, such as rice bran, grapeseed or vegetable
- Sea salt
- ¼ cup finely grated daikon radish, drained of liquid
- 1 teaspoon fresh ginger, grated
-
Matoba Suisan Katsuobushi Flakes, optional
Directions
Combine the dashi, soy sauce, tamari and mirin in a small sauce pot, and bring to a boil. Meanwhile, mix the kudzu starch and water in a small bowl to make a smooth slurry.
When the liquid in the pan is at a boil, slowly add the kudzu slurry in a thin stream while whisking constantly. Return to a boil to enable the starch to thicken. Taste for seasoning. You will need to rewarm this before plating the dish.
Place the potato starch in a medium bowl. Pat dry the tofu with paper towels. Cut the tofu in half, then cut the 2 halves into 4 pieces each, yielding at total of 8 pieces. Toss them in the potato starch until well coated.
In a skillet, heat about 1 to 1½ cups of oil until it reaches 350℉ to 370℉. Add the tofu and cook until crunchy, about 2 minutes. You may have to rotate the tofu if it is not fully submerged in the skillet. Remove the fried tofu chunks from the oil and immediately sprinkle with sea salt.
To serve, arrange 2 tofu pieces in each bowl. Pour the hot dashi sauce over the tofu and top with the grated daikon, ginger, and katsuobushi flakes, if using. Enjoy!