Cherry & Dennis Recipes
Japanese Agedashi Tofu
日式揚出豆腐
Recipe overview
Japanese Agedashi Tofu is a classic Japanese home and izakaya dish; agedashi means an ingredient lightly coated, fried and served with dashi-based sauce. Firm tofu is gently pressed, thinly coated with potato starch and fried at 170–175°C to a pale golden crisp shell, then placed in bowls before clear flowing sauce, grated daikon, ginger and scallions are added. It is not salt-and-pepper tofu, mapo tofu, atsuage, tempura tofu or tofu soup; it uses no Panko, heavy batter or thick gravy.
01
Ingredients
Main Ingredients
- 2 packs, 700–800 grams: intact and unspoiled; gently press moisture away, then cut into 8 large pieces Firm tofu
- about 80 grams: coat thinly only just before frying Potato starch
- 150 grams: grate and gently squeeze excess liquid Daikon
- 15 grams: finely grate; 2 scallions: mince finely Ginger
- 8 grams, optional: scatter lightly at the end; check fish label Bonito flakes
Agedashi dashi sauce
- 400 ml: check fish and other allergens Dashi
- 3 tablespoons: check soy, wheat and sodium Japanese soy sauce
- 3 tablespoons: check alcohol and sugar mirin
- 1 teaspoon: only balances saltiness sugar
Deep-frying oil
- about 1.2–1.5 litres: high-heat vegetable oil, depth adjusted to the pot Cooking oil
02
Tools
- Deep heavy-bottomed frying pot, small saucepan, frying thermometer, long tongs, metal spider, wire rack, tray, large bowl, two medium bowls, four small bowls, shallow plate, spoon, teaspoon, measuring cup, scale, knife, vegetable and cooked-food boards, paper towels, daikon and ginger graters, fine sieve, oven mitts and four white small deep bowls.
- food thermometer
- tongs
- skimmer
- metal rack
- serving tray
- mixing bowl
- bowl
- small bowl
- shallow dish
- tablespoon
- teaspoon
- measuring cup
- digital scale
- knife
- cutting board
- kitchen paper
- grater
- strainer
- oven mitts
03
Steps
Step 1
Check tofu
Use only intact in-date packs; discard tofu with sour odour, slime, grey-yellow colour or swelling.
Step 2
Gently press
Drain packing liquid, sandwich in towels and lightly press with an ordinary plate for 10–15 minutes; no heavy weight, keep soft inside.
Step 3
Cut 8 large pieces
Cut both packs into eight 4–5 cm squares or rectangles, then blot surfaces again.
Step 4
Prepare toppings
Grate daikon and squeeze lightly, finely grate ginger and mince scallions; keep in a clean cool place.
Step 5
Make sauce
Bring dashi, soy, mirin and sugar to a light boil for 1–2 minutes until dissolved; hold on lowest heat, clear and flowing.
Step 6
Heat oil
Heat high-heat vegetable oil in a deep pot to 170–175°C and verify with thermometer; it must not smoke heavily.
Step 7
Lightly coat
Coat each piece only just before oil and tap off excess; no thick starch, Panko or batter.
Step 8
Fry batches
Fry 2–4 at a time, lowering away from your body with long tongs or spider and leaving gaps.
Step 9
Fry pale golden
Fry 2–3 minutes at 165–175°C, turn once only if needed, until thinly crisp and pale golden with soft interior.
Step 10
Rack-drain
Lift onto a wire rack for 1–2 minutes; do not leave flat on towels or steam softens coating.
Step 11
Bowl and sauce
Put two pieces in each bowl and pour hot sauce at the edge to one-third height, not submerged.
Step 12
Top and serve
Add small amounts of daikon, ginger, scallion and optional bonito, then serve immediately.
Common mistakes
- Using sour or slimy tofu.；Not draining tofu.；Heavy pressing too long.；Pressing it hard.；Uneven pieces.；Frying wet surfaces.；Coating too early.；Thick starch coating.；Using Panko.；Using thick tempura batter.；Oil below 170°C.；Heavily smoking oil.；Overcrowding pot.；Dropping from height.；Constant turning.；Frying dark brown.；Leaving long on paper.；Thickening sauce with starch.；Over-salting sauce.；Boiling sauce dry.；Soaking tofu too long.；Daikon too wet.；Burying tofu under cold toppings.；Leaving cooked food out too long.
Tips
Check date and smell first.；Discard sour, slimy or discoloured tofu.；Press only gently.；10–15 minutes is enough.；No heavy weight.；Two packs make eight large pieces.；Keep pieces 4–5 cm.；Blot surfaces again.；Remove only excess daikon liquid.；Finely grate ginger.；Mince scallions fine.；Make sauce first.；Keep sauce clear and flowing.；Keep oil 170–175°C.；Coat only before frying.；Use one thin layer.；Tap off excess.；Fry 2–4 each batch.；Do not turn often.；2–3 minutes to pale gold.；Rack-drain fried tofu.；Bowl tofu before sauce.；Sauce one-third high only.；Add toppings last.；Refrigerate tofu, sauce and toppings separately.
