Simmered Koyadofu

Langkah-langkah

1. Gather all the ingredients.

2. The box says you do not need to soak, but I still recommend washing the koyadofu. Put 5 pieces koyadofu (freeze-dried tofu) in a bowl and pour hot water. The koyadofu will expand in about 10 minutes.

3. Meanwhile, put 2 ½ cup dashi (Japanese soup stock) in a pot. I use cold brew kombu dashi for this recipe, leaving the kombu behind. Add 2 Tbsp mirin and 2 Tbsp sake.

4. Add 1 Tbsp soy sauce, 4 Tbsp sugar, and ½ tsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt.

5. Mix all together and slowly bring it to boil.

6. While waiting for the broth to boil, wash the koyadofu in clean cold water once it expands. Be careful with the koyadofu as the inside still contains hot water.

7. Like a sponge, let the koyadofu soak up the clean water and push it out a few times to clean. Hold the tofu flat between your hands. Squeeze the cloudy water from the inside of the koyadofu by pressing hard.

8. Change the water in the bowl several times to clean all the koyadofu. Thoroughly wash out the cloudy water by repeating this process several times. Give it a final squeeze.

9. Cut each koyadofu into 6 square pieces.

10. Once the dashi-soy broth is boiling, add the koyadofu and cover with a drop lid (Otoshibuta – if you don’t have one, make one with aluminum foil). You do not use a regular lid on top. Simmer for 10 minutes on medium-low heat.

11. When it’s about to finish simmering, prepare 5 snow peas by removing the tough strings. Add the snow peas in the saucepan and cook for 1-2 minutes, or until tender.

12. The koyadofu can be served immediately. Put the koyadofu, snow peas, and broth in a bowl and serve.

13. Optionally, for stronger flavors, transfer the koyadofu and broth to an airtight container. Let cool to room temperature first and store in the refrigerator for a few hours, overnight, or up to 3–4 days, and in the freezer up to a month.

14. After soaking for more flavors, serve hot, at room temperature, or chilled. If frozen, reheat before serving. I personally love chilled koyadofu that's been soaked for 1–2 days.