Japanese Hiryuzu and Agedashi Tofu: Deep-Fried Tofu Preparations

Ingredients

• For the hiryuzu
• 400 g firm tofu, well-pressed: wrapped in muslin, weighted at 2 kg for 30 minutes minimum
• 50 g carrot, shredded, moisture pressed out
• 30 g wood ear mushroom, rehydrated and finely shredded, excess moisture removed
• 50 g edamame, shelled
• 30 g burdock (gobo), shredded, moisture pressed out
• 60 g mountain yam (yamaimo), peeled and finely grated — acts as binder
• 1 tsp yuzu zest, finely grated, for garnish
• 1 tsp fresh ginger, grated, for garnish
• 1 litre neutral oil, for deep-frying
• For the agedashi tofu
• 400 g silken or medium tofu, cut into portions, dried thoroughly on paper towels
• 60 g katakuriko (potato starch), for dusting — applied in a thin, even layer only
• 1 litre neutral oil, for deep-frying
• For the agedashi dashi broth
• 400 ml dashi, prepared dashi, kept hot at 70°C
• 100 ml mirin
• 100 ml soy sauce
• For the agedashi garnish
• 40 g daikon, finely grated
• 1 tsp fresh ginger, finely grated
• 10 g negi (Japanese spring onion), finely sliced
• 5 g bonito flakes (katsuobushi)

Method

1. 1
   Press both tofus before any other work begins. Wrap firm tofu and silken tofu in separate muslin cloths and place each under a 2 kg weight for a minimum of 30 minutes. For the vegetable additions to the hiryuzu mixture, press shredded carrot, wood ear mushroom, and burdock separately to expel moisture. The pressing is complete when no further liquid pools beneath the weights.
2. 2
   Make the hiryuzu mixture. Crumble the pressed firm tofu into a bowl. Add the shredded carrot, wood ear mushroom, edamame, and burdock. Grate the yamaimo directly into the bowl — it will be viscous and sticky. Mix firmly until the yamaimo binds the mass into a cohesive paste that holds its shape when compressed in the hand. This is the moment on which the hiryuzu lives or dies: if the mixture is too wet from insufficiently pressed vegetables or tofu, the patties will not cohere and may cause steam explosions in the oil; the mixture must feel dense and tacky, not slack.
3. 3
   Shape the hiryuzu into small patties of uniform thickness. Heat the frying oil to 170°C. Lower the patties into the oil and fry, turning once, until golden across both surfaces. Allow full cooking time — the interior must cook through, not merely colour the exterior. Remove and drain on a rack.
4. 4
   Prepare the dashi broth for agedashi. Combine dashi, mirin, and soy sauce in the ratio 4:1:1 (400 ml dashi, 100 ml mirin, 100 ml soy sauce). Bring to a simmer and hold at approximately 70°C. The broth should smell clean and savoury with a faint sweetness from the mirin.
5. 5
   Cut the pressed silken or medium tofu into serving portions. Pat each piece dry once more with fresh paper towels. Dust lightly and evenly in katakuriko — the coating must be thin: a visible, powdery veil, not a thick crust. Heat the frying oil to 180°C. Lower the tofu pieces into the oil. Fry for 3–4 minutes until a translucent, barely-visible shell forms across the surface. The shell will appear firm and lightly set; the interior remains soft. Remove immediately.
6. 6
   Plate the agedashi without delay. Set the fried tofu portions in individual bowls. Place grated daikon, grated ginger, sliced negi, and bonito flakes alongside. Pour the hot dashi broth at the table directly into the bowl. The dish must be consumed promptly — five minutes in the broth produces a soggy, collapsed preparation. The shell will soften gradually in the hot liquid; the correct moment is when it is just yielding but still coheres.
7. 7
   Serve the hiryuzu with grated ginger and yuzu zest. If prepared for an oden context, the fried patties may be simmered in sweetened dashi after frying before plating. Served independently, garnish and present immediately while the exterior retains its fried character.