Agedashi Tofu — Deep-Fried Tofu in Dashi Broth (揚げ出し豆腐)

Ingredients

• 600 g kinugoshi (silken) tofu, cut into 6–8 equal blocks
• 60 g katakuriko (potato starch), for dusting; do not substitute cornflour
• For the tentsuyu
• 400 ml dashi, kombu-and-katsuobushi, kept hot
• 60 ml soy sauce
• 60 ml mirin
• For the garnish
• 60 g daikon, finely grated
• 20 g fresh ginger, finely grated
• 5 g katsuobushi (bonito flakes), a few shavings per portion
• 2 g aonori, or thin-cut nori strips
• 1 litre neutral oil, for deep-frying; maintained at 175–180°C

Method

1. 1
   Wrap the tofu blocks in a clean cloth or several layers of paper towel. Set a flat weight on top and leave to drain for 15–30 minutes. The preparation is ready to proceed when the cloth shows no further moisture and the surface of each block is dry to the touch, while the interior still yields and trembles under light pressure.
2. 2
   Combine the dashi, soy sauce, and mirin in a small saucepan. Bring to a gentle simmer and keep hot over low heat. The tentsuyu must be steaming when the tofu is placed into it; a cold or lukewarm sauce will dissolve the crust at the moment of contact and destroy the dish's defining texture.
3. 3
   Heat the oil in a deep, heavy pan to 175–180°C. Verify the temperature with a thermometer; this is the dish's only unforgiving variable — too cool and the starch absorbs oil without crisping, too hot and the interior cooks through before the exterior sets.
4. 4
   Working one block at a time, dust the drained tofu in katakuriko just before it enters the oil — never in advance. Turn to coat all surfaces lightly and evenly, shaking off any excess. This is where the dish lives or dies: the starch coating must be applied at the last possible moment, and the oil temperature must hold at 175–180°C for the crust to form correctly. Lower the blocks into the oil without crowding and fry for 1–2 minutes, until the exterior transitions from dull white to a very pale, barely golden translucency. The crust should appear almost transparent, not golden-brown — the moment full colour develops, the tofu is over-fried.
5. 5
   Lift the tofu from the oil, drain for no more than a few seconds on a rack, and place immediately into shallow bowls already holding the hot tentsuyu. Ladle additional tentsuyu around — not over — each block. The crust will begin its characteristic dissolution at once; the dish must reach the table within 60 seconds of plating. Set a mound of grated daikon and ginger on top of each block, drape a few shavings of katsuobushi across — they should flutter visibly in the warmth rising from the sauce — and finish with a pinch of aonori. Serve without delay.