Kyoto Yudofu

Ingredients

• 600 g soft or silken tofu, cut into 6 cm cubes
• 1.2 litres water
• 15 g kombu
• 1 tbsp sake
• 100 ml dashi
• 4 tbsp soy sauce
• 2 tbsp mirin
• 5 g katsuobushi (bonito flakes)
• 100 g daikon, finely grated and drained
• 2 spring onions, thinly sliced
• 1 tsp grated yuzu zest, or lemon zest
• Shichimi togarashi, to serve

Before you cook

• Put the kombu in a donabe or wide pan with the 1.2 litres of water and soak it for 30 minutes.
• Cut the tofu into large cubes and leave them on a plate.
• Grate the daikon, slice the spring onions and grate the yuzu zest into separate small dishes.

Steps

1. Put the dashi, soy sauce and mirin into a small pan and bring them to the boil.
2. Take the pan off the heat, stir in the katsuobushi and leave it for 2 minutes.
3. Strain the sauce into a small jug and keep it warm.
4. Set the pan of kombu water over a medium-low heat and add the sake.
5. Heat the water until small bubbles cling to the sides but the surface is barely trembling, at around 80C.
6. Slide the tofu cubes in gently with a slotted spoon.
7. Warm the tofu for 4 minutes, watching for the moment the cubes begin to sway and lift, and never let the water boil or the tofu will turn grainy.
8. Bring the pot to the table with a burner underneath if you have one.
9. Give everyone a small bowl and pour in some of the warm sauce.
10. Let each person lift out tofu with a slotted spoon and dress it with grated daikon, spring onion, yuzu and a pinch of shichimi.