Japanese Shira-ae White Sesame Tofu Dressing

Ingredients

• 300 g firm tofu, wrapped in cloth and weighted for at least 30 minutes to drain thoroughly
• 3 tbsp neri-goma (white sesame paste), the flavour backbone of the dressing
• 1 tbsp white miso (shiro miso), do not substitute red miso
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1 tsp sake
• 1 pinch salt, to taste
• Vegetables (select one or a combination)
• 100 g spinach, blanched and squeezed dry
• 80 g carrot, julienned and briefly blanched
• 80 g konnyaku (konjac), sliced and parboiled
• 80 g edamame, shelled and blanched

Method

1. 1
   Wrap the tofu in a clean cloth. Set a weighted board or plate on top and leave for at least 30 minutes. The cloth must show no further moisture before the tofu is considered ready. If time permits, press under refrigeration for up to one hour. Insufficiently pressed tofu is invisible in the block but breaks the dressing the moment it is mixed — this is where the dish lives or dies.
2. 2
   Place the neri-goma and sugar in a suribachi (Japanese grinding mortar). Work the pestle in steady circular strokes until the sugar is fully incorporated and the paste loosens to a sheen as the sesame oils are released. The paste will brighten in colour and become notably glossy.
3. 3
   Add the white miso and sake to the suribachi and grind them into the sesame paste until homogeneous. Season with salt. The paste should be smooth, cohesive, and hold its shape without crumbling.
4. 4
   Break the pressed tofu into the suribachi in pieces. Mash and grind it thoroughly into the sesame-miso paste until the dressing is uniformly smooth and pale. A few strokes of a small whisk or the back of a spatula may assist. The finished dressing should cling to the pestle in a continuous ribbon rather than falling in drops.
5. 5
   Prepare the chosen vegetables: blanch, cool under cold water, and squeeze or blot each component completely dry. Any residual water on the vegetables will thin the dressing on contact. Each piece should feel dry to the hand.
6. 6
   Immediately before service, fold the prepared vegetables into the dressing. Turn gently until every piece is evenly coated. The dressing should adhere smoothly to each surface with no pooling at the base of the bowl. Plate without delay — extended contact allows vegetable moisture to thin and break the dressing within 15 to 20 minutes.