Ganmodoki (がんもどき, Hiryōzu)

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Suribachi (Japanese ribbed mortar), or a sturdy bowl with a fork or potato masher
• •Clean kitchen cloth and a light weight for pressing tofu
• •Heavy deep pot and frying thermometer
• •Spider skimmer or wide slotted spoon
• •Wooden drop-lid (otoshibuta), or a circle of parchment with a small center hole

Instructions

1. 1

   Steep the dashi

   Wipe the konbu with a damp cloth, but don't wash it. Put the konbu, dried shiitake, and cold water in a pot and let them stand for at least 30 minutes, or overnight in the refrigerator if you planned ahead. Set the pot over low heat and bring it up slowly. When the water trembles and small bubbles climb the sides, lift out the konbu. Let the shiitake steep off the heat for 10 minutes more, then strain the dashi. Reserve 2 mushrooms for the filling.

   Boiled konbu gives the stock a faint bitterness and a slick texture. The rule is simple because the reason is simple: protect the clarity.
2. 2

   Press the tofu

   Wrap the tofu in a clean cloth, set it on a tray, and put a small plate with a light weight on top. Leave it for 25 to 30 minutes. It should lose a good spoonful of water and crumble like damp clay when pressed between your fingers. Wet tofu makes a loose paste and an angry pot of oil. Pressed tofu behaves.

3. 3

   Prepare the filling

   Soak the hijiki in cold water for 10 minutes until plump, then rinse and squeeze it dry. Swish the cut gobō in water for 2 minutes and drain it. Do not leave it until it tastes of nothing. Mince the reserved shiitake, and halve the ginkgo nuts. Keep every cut small, because the tofu is the body of the dish and the vegetables should season it, not break it apart.

4. 4

   Blanch the roots

   Bring a small pot of water to a boil. Add the gobō and carrot and cook for 1 minute, then add the hijiki for just 10 seconds. Drain well and spread everything on a towel to cool and dry. This takes away the raw edge and removes extra water, so the center of each ganmodoki stays tender instead of soggy.

5. 5

   Knead the tofu

   Crumble the pressed tofu into a suribachi or a sturdy bowl and mash until no large lumps remain. Add the grated yamaimo or nagaimo, katakuriko, 1 teaspoon usukuchi, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1 teaspoon sugar. Knead until the paste turns tacky and holds a soft mound. The yam does the binding work without egg, and the starch catches the last bit of water.

   If the paste slumps when you shape it, add katakuriko 1 teaspoon at a time. Too much makes the fritter rubbery, so correct gently.
6. 6

   Fold and shape

   Fold in the carrot, gobō, hijiki, minced shiitake, and ginkgo. Divide the mixture into 8 portions. Oil your hands lightly and shape each one into a thick flattened round, about 2 1/2 inches wide. Smooth the cracks with your fingertips. A smooth surface fries evenly, while cracks drink oil before they ever meet the broth.

7. 7

   Fry the rounds

   Heat 2 inches of oil in a heavy pot to 165 C / 330 F, and do not fill the pot more than halfway. Lower in 3 or 4 rounds at a time and fry for 5 to 6 minutes, turning once or twice, until evenly chestnut-gold and slightly lighter when lifted. Keep the oil between 160 and 170 C. Too hot, and the outside darkens before the center sets. Too cool, and the ganmodoki drinks oil.

   Do not chase a dark crust. Ganmodoki should be bronzed and tender, not armored.
8. 8

   Season the broth

   In a wide pot, combine 2 1/2 cups konbu-shiitake dashi, 2 tablespoons usukuchi, mirin, 1 teaspoon sugar, and a pinch of salt if needed. Bring it to a quiet simmer and taste it. It should be a little stronger than soup, because the fried tofu will drink and soften it.

9. 9

   Simmer and serve

   Lay the fried ganmodoki in the broth in a single layer. Set an otoshibuta, a wooden drop-lid, directly on top, or use a circle of parchment with a small hole in the center. Simmer gently for 8 to 10 minutes, then take the pot off the heat and rest for 10 minutes if you can. The lid keeps broth moving over the tops without stirring, and the rest lets the tofu drink. Serve two rounds per person with a little broth, grated ginger, and either yuzu peel or mitsuba.

Chef Tips

• •Use momen-dōfu, firm cotton tofu, not silken tofu. It should smell clean and faintly sweet, like soy milk. If the tofu tastes tired before cooking, frying won't make it noble.
• •Fresh ginkgo is autumn shun. Outside autumn, vacuum-packed or canned cooked ginkgo is a sensible stand-in. Rinse it well and use fewer than you think; ginkgo is a marker, not the whole conversation.
• •Cut the carrot and gobō finer than you think necessary. Large pieces look generous on the board and troublesome in the hand, where they tear the paste and make shaping untidy.
• •For this meatless version, stay with konbu and dried shiitake dashi. Katsuobushi makes a fine stock for another table, but temple-style dashi has its own clear depth and needs no apology.
• •If yamaimo or nagaimo makes your hands itch, grate it with a glove or hold the peeled end with a towel. That stickiness is exactly why it belongs here.

Advance Preparation

• •The konbu and shiitake can soak overnight in the refrigerator. The finished dashi keeps 2 days chilled.
• •The tofu can be pressed several hours ahead, then kept covered in the refrigerator until you mix the paste.
• •Ganmodoki is excellent made ahead. Fry and simmer it, then cool it in the broth and refrigerate overnight. Reheat gently, never hard, so the rounds stay tender.
• •Fried but unsimmered ganmodoki can be frozen for up to 1 month. Thaw in the refrigerator and warm in seasoned dashi; the texture becomes more open and drinks the broth well.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 290g)