agedashi tofu

this dish is pretty and tasty and a lot easier to make than you might think. it always impresses. somehow hot oil never fails to impress my friends. especially when it's spitting at me like a machine gun and making me do that crazy little crack dance. just kidding, what with the cornstarch coating and the tofu pressing, there is very little molten splats coming your way.

tofu agedashi
1 tub firm tofu
1 cup dashi stock
1 Tablespoon soy sauce
1 Tablespoon mirin (or sake)
1 Tablespoon potato starch (or cornstarch) mixed with 1 Tablespoon cold water
salt to taste
1-3 teaspoons grated ginger (to taste)
1 Tablespoon thinly sliced green onion
potato or cornstarch for dusting tofu
oil for frying

wrap tofu in papertowels and sandwich between two cutting boards or plates. place a weight on top and let sit for at least 20 minutes to expel some of the water. place konbu dashi, mirin and soy sauce in a small saucepan and bring to a boil. if you like a thicker agedashi stock add the potato/cornstarch mixed with water and stir quickly. this will thicken the sauce. sometimes i add the starch to thicken, sometimes i don't. in the picture above i didn't, so your sauce will look a little cloudier but will stick to the tofu much better. once the tofu has been pressed, pat dry and cut the cube in half. you may also cut into triangles or cubes, as you like it. dredge all sides in cornstarch and fry on each side until golden brown. to serve, place each serving in a seperate bowl and pour heated sauce over the top. garnish with a small blob of grated ginger and thinly sliced green onion. i usually put the ginger in the sauce and garnish just with the green onion.