Agedashi-dofu (Japanese fried tofu)

Ingredients

For the tofu:

1 brick of tofu (use the firm version, because it’s more robust)

Potato or corn starch

Vegetable oil for either deep frying or pan frying

For the broth/dip:

2T soy sauce

2 T sake (optional)

2T mirin

1 cup water. If you have dashi (fish stock) at home, use a cup of that.

Pinch of sugar

For garnishes:

Sliced scallions

Bonito (fish) flakes, if you have them

Grated ginger

Preparation

Drain the tofu by putting paper towels above and below it, and put a heavy pan on it for 15 minutes to 2 hours.

Meanwhile, you can make your broth/dip by mixing and boiling the liquids and adding in the pinch of sugar. Just let it sit off the heat, when done.

Dry the tofu and cut into 8 equal-sized pieces.

Put the starch in a deep plate and roll/coat each tofu piece on all sides.

Deep or pan-fry the tofu in two batches, until it turns a golden color.

Drain on paper towel.

Put two or three pieces in a shallow bowl (for individual servings). Add broth/dip to the bowl and top with any/all of the toppings listed above. Try to do all this when the tofu is really hot.

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About

Tofu can be bland, but the Japanese use deep-fried tofu as an appetizer, especially in bars (izakaya). It’s popular and really good. The secret is the corn-starch coating. More photos and info at feralcooks.com/agedashi-dofu-deep-fried-tofu/

Here’s the thing: this is so easy to make, and takes so few ingredients, that it’s surprising that more non-Japanese cooks and restaurants don’t serve it. It goes really well as an appetizer for many types of Asian foods.