Fresh Lifted Yuba (引き上げ湯葉, Hikiage Yuba)

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Yuba nabe, or a wide shallow nonstick skillet
• •Bamboo skewer or cooking chopsticks
• •Instant-read thermometer
• •Shallow bowl of cold water
• •Small dipping dishes

Instructions

1. 1

   Choose the soy milk

   Use plain, unsweetened soy milk with as few additions as possible, and choose a rich one. Protein and fat are what make the skin, so thin drinking soy milk gives you thin, stubborn yuba. If you can buy fresh soy milk from a tofu maker, do it. Sourcing first, always.

2. 2

   Warm the pan

   Pour the soy milk into a wide, shallow yuba pan or a nonstick skillet, about 1 inch deep. Set it over low heat. A wide surface matters because yuba forms only where the soy milk meets the air, so a deep pot wastes your patience and then asks for more.

3. 3

   Hold gentle heat

   Warm the soy milk until the surface is calm but lively at the edges, about 175 to 185 F. Do not let it boil. Boiling breaks the skin as it forms and scorches the soy milk underneath, and scorched soy is a flavor no dipping sauce can politely hide.

   If you have no thermometer, watch the surface. It should barely tremble, with tiny bubbles at the edge of the pan and no rolling movement in the center.
4. 4

   Wait for the skin

   Leave the surface undisturbed until a pale, wrinkled film forms, usually 4 to 6 minutes for the first sheet. Don't stir. Stirring folds the forming skin back into the soy milk, which is a very efficient way to make nothing for dinner.

5. 5

   Lift the yuba

   Slide a bamboo skewer or cooking chopstick under one edge, lift slowly, and let the sheet gather over the stick. Hold it above the pan for a few seconds so excess soy milk drains back. The sheet should look satin-pale and slightly elastic, not dry and leathery.

   Lift when the skin has enough strength to wrinkle as one piece. Too early and it tears into cream; too late and it toughens at the edges.
6. 6

   Cool or serve

   Lay each sheet briefly over cold water if you want it cool and clean, or set it directly on a small plate if serving warm. Cold water firms the sheet and stops it from sticking to itself, but don't leave it soaking or you'll wash away the fresh soy sweetness.

7. 7

   Continue lifting

   Let the surface form again and lift more sheets, adjusting the heat as the soy milk level drops. The later sheets may be smaller and slightly richer. If the bottom begins to catch, stop. A little soy milk left behind is better than one scorched sheet spoiling the bowl.

8. 8

   Serve simply

   Fold the yuba loosely into small irregular bundles and serve with shoyu and wasabi. If the soy sauce tastes too sharp beside the fresh yuba, soften it with a spoonful of dashi or water. Dip lightly. The yuba should taste of soybean first, seasoning second.

Chef Tips

• •A tofu shop's soy milk is the first choice. Ask whether it is plain and fresh that day. Sweetened soy milk belongs at breakfast, not here.
• •Use a yuba nabe if you have one, or a wide nonstick skillet as the sensible stand-in. The tool's job is simple: broad surface, steady low heat, easy lifting.
• •Fresh yuba is best the day it is made. Cover it with a little cold water and refrigerate if you must hold it, then drain gently before serving.
• •Prepared wasabi is acceptable here. Fresh wasabi is cleaner and quieter, but don't use so much that it bullies the soy milk. This dish speaks softly.

Advance Preparation

• •Fresh yuba can be made up to 6 hours ahead. Keep the sheets covered with cold water in the refrigerator, then drain and serve cool.
• •Do not season the yuba ahead. Shoyu darkens and toughens the delicate sheets if they sit together.
• •If serving at the table, set out the warmed soy milk in a shallow electric pan and lift each sheet as it forms.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 365g)