Almond Tofu (杏仁豆腐, Annin Dōfu)

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Small saucepan
• •Fine-mesh sieve
• •Shallow square container or nagashikan mold
• •Thin knife

Instructions

1. 1

   Bloom the gelatin

   Sprinkle the gelatin over the cold water in a small bowl and leave it for five minutes, until it swells and looks like wet sand. Don't stir dry gelatin straight into hot milk. It clumps, and then the set will be spotted instead of smooth.

   Blooming gives each grain time to drink water before it meets heat, so it melts evenly into the milk.
2. 2

   Warm the milk

   Combine the milk, cream, and sugar in a small saucepan. Warm over low heat, stirring, until the sugar dissolves and the liquid feels hot to the touch but never boils. Take it off the heat. Boiling makes the dairy taste flat and leaves a skin, which is not the quiet texture we're after.

3. 3

   Dissolve and scent

   Stir the bloomed gelatin into the hot milk until fully dissolved, then add the almond essence. Start with the smaller amount, taste a spoonful, and stop when the fragrance is clear but gentle. The scent grows a little stronger as the pudding chills, so bravery here is usually punished.

   If using Japanese almond essence, it is often stronger than supermarket almond extract. Measure carefully. This dish wants perfume, not shouting.
4. 4

   Strain and chill

   Strain the milk mixture through a fine-mesh sieve into a shallow square container. Straining catches any gelatin threads or milk skin, giving you a clean face when the jelly is cut. Let it cool for ten minutes, cover, and refrigerate until fully set, at least four hours.

5. 5

   Make the syrup

   While the pudding chills, simmer the syrup water and sugar just until clear, then cool completely. Stir in a little syrup from the canned mikan if you like, and a few drops of lemon juice if it tastes too sweet. The syrup should be thin and bright, not thick enough to coat the spoon.

6. 6

   Cut and serve

   Run a thin knife through the set pudding to make small diamonds or squares. Lift them gently into chilled bowls, add three or five mikan segments to each, and spoon over enough cold syrup to gather at the bottom. Don't drown it. The pale jelly, orange fruit, and clear syrup should each be visible.

Chef Tips

• •Apricot kernels are the old source of the fragrance, but they are not always easy to buy safely or use well at home. Almond essence is the honest Japanese home route here, as long as you use it with restraint.
• •Gelatin gives the soft, trembling set most Japanese home cooks expect. Agar sets firmer and cleaner, which is also seen, but it needs a full boil to dissolve and will not have quite the same wobble.
• •Use canned mikan without apology. Its mild sweetness and tidy segments belong to this dish as it is eaten in Japan, and fresh citrus can be too sharp unless it is perfectly sweet.

Advance Preparation

• •The almond tofu can be made one day ahead and kept covered in the refrigerator. Cut it shortly before serving so the edges stay clean.
• •The syrup can be made up to three days ahead and chilled. Keep the fruit separate until serving, or the syrup takes on too much canned-fruit sweetness.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 215g)