Agedashi Dofu

Ingredients

• 600 g medium-firm or momen tofu
• 5 tbsp potato starch
• 700 ml vegetable oil, for frying
• 300 ml dashi
• 3 tbsp soy sauce
• 3 tbsp mirin
• 100 g daikon radish, finely grated
• 1 tbsp finely grated fresh ginger
• 2 spring onions, finely sliced
• 5 g katsuobushi bonito flakes
• 1/2 tsp shichimi togarashi

Before you cook

• Wrap the tofu in a clean tea towel and set a plate on top for 15 minutes to press out water.
• Cut the pressed tofu into eight rectangular blocks.
• Pat every face of every block dry with kitchen paper, as any surface water will spit in the oil.
• Grate the daikon and squeeze it gently, leaving it damp but not wet.
• Grate the ginger and slice the spring onions.
• Spread the potato starch on a plate.

Steps

1. Warm the dashi, soy sauce and mirin together in a small pan until steaming, then keep it hot without boiling.
2. Heat the oil in a deep pan to 180C.
3. Roll two blocks of tofu in the potato starch, coating every face, and tap off the excess.
4. Lower the coated tofu straight into the oil, working quickly so the starch does not go gluey.
5. Fry for 3 to 4 minutes, turning once, until the shell is pale gold and firm to a tap.
6. Lift the tofu onto a rack to drain.
7. Coat and fry the remaining tofu in the same way, in three more batches.
8. Set two blocks in each of four shallow bowls.
9. Pour the hot dashi broth around the tofu, not over it, so the tops stay crisp.
10. Top each portion with a mound of grated daikon and a smaller mound of grated ginger.
11. Scatter over the spring onions and katsuobushi and dust with shichimi togarashi.
12. Serve at once, before the steam stops making the bonito flakes curl.