Recipe: Agedashi Tofu

This is simple Japanese comfort food. The tofu stays soft and silky on the inside while the outside gets a nice coating that holds up to the very flavorful broth. This is one of my favorite Japanese recipes and my version is replicated from memories of very good versions I’ve had in Japan and elsewhere. The garnishes are very important to the overall flavor of this dish - so don’t leave them out! Normally served as an appetizer in Japanese restaurants, this can also be a main course by increasing the portion size or part of a light lunch with a few pieces of fresh sashimi or small portion of cooked fish.

Agedashi Tofu

Ingredients

Sauce

1 lb. (16 oz.) of soft tofu

1 1/2 cup of dashi stock
1/4 cup mirin
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup of water
1 tbsp rice vinegar

Tofu

1 egg
1 cup rice flour
3 - 4 cups of rice bran oil or vegetable oil (for frying)

Garnish

1/2 cup diced scallions
2 tbsp katsuobushi (bonito flakes)
1 1/2 tbsp grated daikon radish
1 4” square sheet of nori (dried seaweed) cut into thin strips
1 tsp togarashi powder (Japanese hot pepper powder) or crushed red pepper

Directions

Wrap tofu in two dishcloths. Place a heavy weight on top of the tofu (like a cast iron skillet) and leave to drain for approximately 30 minutes. Cut tofu into 1 1/2 inch cubes.

Beat the 1 egg thoroughly in one bowl. Place the rice flour in another bowl. Heat the oil over high heat until the oil temperature reaches 350 degrees. Coat each piece of tofu thoroughly in the rice flour, then coat in egg allowing any excess to drip off, then coat again in rice flour. Place immediately into the hot oil and fry until medium brown, turning as necessary. Place on a paper towel lined plate to drain off excess oil when done. 

Whisk dashi stock, mirin, soy sauce, water, and rice vinegar together in a non-reactive (glass/plastic) bowl. Place in microwave and heat for 45 seconds. Whisk again for a few seconds.

Pour equal amounts of the stock mixture into each serving bowl. Evenly divide tofu pieces among the bowls and place on top of the broth. Garnish each bowl with the scallions, bonito flakes, daikon, nori, and shigarashi. Serve immediately.

Makes 4 appetizer servings or 2 light meal servings.

Recipe: Spicy Yakisoba

Ingredients:

1 bunch scallions, green and white parts loosely chopped
1 tbsp. chili sauce
1 tbsp. sesame oil
2 tbsp. mirin
2 tbsp. rice vinegar
3 tbsp. soy sauce
1 tbsp. minced ginger
1 tbsp. minced garlic
6 oz. soba noodles
2 tbsp. canola oil
1 lb. extra firm tofu, cut into 1 inch cubes
2 tbsp. katsuo mirin furikake (seasoned dried bonito and sesame seeds)

Directions:

Place 5 quarts of water on a boil. Add 1 tbsp. of salt to the water. Once water boils, add the soba noodles. Boil for 6 minutes, drain, then run under cold water to stop the cooking. Set aside.

Heat the canola oil in a wok over high heat. Once the oil is hot, add the cubed tofu. Cook the tofu until browned, turning constantly, for about 10 minutes. Remove tofu from the oil and sprinkle the katsuo mirin furikake over it. Set aside.

In the food processor, pulse all remaining ingredients until pureed. In a large bowl, place soba noodles, tofu, and sauce mixture. Mix thoroughly. Serve at room temperature.

Makes 4 servings.

Recipe: Kitsune Udon

This is my variant of dish I've had many times in Japan, mostly in Osaka where it is popular. The broth is what makes this wonderful, hands down.

Ingredients:

5 cups low-sodium chicken broth
3 cups water
1/2 cup low-sodium soy sauce
1/2 cup of mirin (Japanese cooking sake)
1 cup of bonito flakes (Japanese dried fish skin/scales)
2 tbsp. minced garlic
2 tbsp. minced ginger
1 tsp. black pepper
3 star anise bulbs
4 tbsp. nuoc cham or other fish sauce
2 tbsp. yellow miso paste
1 tbsp. rice vinegar
1 tsp. chili oil
1 small onion, diced

16 oz. package of udon noodles
Water for noodles
16 oz. package of firm tofu
2 tbsp. canola or other neutral oil
Salt
1 cup of scallions, chopped

Directions:

Combine all ingredients except for tofu, oil, noodles, salt, and scallions into a large pot. Bring the pot up to a boil then reduce to a low simmer. Simmer the broth on low heat for about 90 minutes.

Drain all water from the tofu and cut it into one inch cubes. Sprinkle salt over all the tofu cubes. In a wok, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Place the tofu cubes into the hot oil, turning them frequently, searing until brown on all sides - about 5 - 6 minutes. Place tofu cubes on a paper towel lined plate and set aside.

Bring a large pot of water to boil. Put a little salt into the water. Place the udon noodles into the boiling water and cook for approximately 7 - 8 minutes (package directions sometimes recommend longer cooking times... ignore those directions for this recipe :)). Drain the noodles and then run ice cold water over them to shock them and stop the cooking.

Put 1 cup of cooked noodles into a large soup bowl. Place several cubes of tofu in the bowl. Ladle in 1 to 1 1/2 cups of the cooked broth. Top with some chopped scallions. Serve immediately.

(note: shredded poached chicken or thinly sliced halibut filet pieces can be substituted for tofu. If you use halibut, do not pre-cook it - place it into the prepared soup bowls raw as it will poach through in the hot broth).

Makes 8 servings.

Recipe: Eggplant in Spicy Garlic Sauce

Ingredients:

1 1/2 pound eggplant, cut into thick strips
1 bell pepper, red, diced
6 tbsp. sugar
4 tbsp. low-sodium soy sauce
3 tbsp. white vinegar
3 tbsp. rice vinegar
2 tbsp. dry sherry
2 tbsp. cornstarch
1 tsp. chili oil
2 tbsp. Sriracha (Vietnamese garlic/chili sauce)
2 tbsp. dark sesame oil
3 tbsp. canola oil
12 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup scallions, finely chopped, white and green parts

Directions:

In a colander, toss eggplant strips with the cornstarch to coat evenly. In a bowl, combine sugar, soy sauce, white vinegar, rice vinegar, dry sherry, chili oil, Sriracha, dark sesame oil, and minced garlic together. Whisk to combine. Heat the canola oil in a wok over high heat. Once oil is hot, add the eggplant strips. Saute them, turning frequently, until they are lightly browned - about 6 - 7 minutes. Add the sauce mixture, reduce the heat to medium, and continue stirring. The sauce will begin to thicken (feel free to add an additional 1 tsp. of cornstarch if it does not thicken to your liking). Once the sauce is thickened, add the bell pepper and scallions and mix together to combine. Remove from heat and serve.

Variation:

Add 8 - 12 oz. of cubed firm tofu to the oil in the wok first. Once it starts to brown, then add the eggplant and follow the directions above.

Makes about 4 servings.