Shira-ae (白和え, tofu-dressed greens)

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Suribachi and surikogi, or a mortar and pestle
• •Clean cloth or paper towels for pressing tofu
• •Small weight, such as a plate with a can on top
• •Medium pot for blanching

Instructions

1. 1

   Press the tofu

   Wrap the tofu in a clean cloth or paper towels, set it on a plate, and place a light weight on top for 25 to 30 minutes. You want it firm and damp, not crushed flat. Pressing removes the water that would loosen the dressing and dull the sesame, so don't rush this part.

   If the tofu still feels wet enough to drip when you lift it, give it another ten minutes. Shira-ae succeeds before the mixing bowl.
2. 2

   Blanch the vegetables

   Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Blanch the carrot until just tender, about 1 minute, then lift it out. Blanch the greens until the stems bend and the leaves turn bright, 30 to 60 seconds depending on the green. Cool them quickly in cold water so the color stays clear and the cooking stops.

   Blanch each vegetable separately. They cook at different speeds, and the dish tastes cleaner when each one keeps its own texture.
3. 3

   Squeeze and season

   Squeeze the greens firmly in your hands, then cut them into 1 1/2-inch lengths. Squeeze once more after cutting, because water hides between the stems. If using konnyaku, blanch it for 1 minute to remove its raw smell, then drain well. Toss the vegetables lightly with the optional usukuchi soy sauce and squeeze again after a minute. This small seasoning, called shitaji, gives the vegetables taste before the tofu dressing touches them.

   Dry vegetables matter as much as dry tofu. Wet greens make a beautiful dressing collapse into soup, which is not a crime, only a pity.
4. 4

   Grind the sesame

   Toast the white sesame seeds in a dry pan over medium-low heat until they smell nutty and a few seeds begin to color, then grind them in a suribachi, a ridged Japanese mortar. Stop when most seeds are broken and the mixture looks sandy and a little oily. Grinding releases the sesame oil, which gives the dressing its body.

   No suribachi? Use a small mortar, spice grinder, or crush the seeds in a sealed bag with a rolling pin. Leave a little texture. Smooth paste is not the goal here.
5. 5

   Make the dressing

   Add the pressed tofu to the ground sesame and mash until mostly smooth. Work in the white miso, sugar, soy sauce, mirin, and salt. Taste it. The dressing should be softly savory, faintly sweet, and a little stronger than you expect, because the vegetables will calm it down.

   Use white miso for its mild sweetness and pale color. A darker miso changes both the flavor and the quiet white appearance that gives the dish its name.
6. 6

   Fold and serve

   Fold the vegetables and konnyaku into the tofu dressing with a light hand. Don't beat them in. The dressing should cling to each piece while small flashes of green and orange still show through. Mound the shira-ae in a small bowl, off-center, and serve cool or at room temperature.

Chef Tips

• •Choose firm tofu, not silken tofu. Silken tofu has its grace, but here it carries too much water and turns the dressing loose.
• •Use greens with character. Spinach is gentle, komatsuna is clean and green, and shungiku brings a faint bitterness that makes the tofu taste sweeter.
• •Dress the vegetables close to serving time if you want the cleanest look. The tofu dressing can wait in the refrigerator, and the blanched vegetables can wait separately.
• •For a meatless table, this dish needs no apology. Tofu, sesame, and seasonal vegetables are already the honmono path.

Advance Preparation

• •Press the tofu up to 8 hours ahead and keep it covered in the refrigerator.
• •Blanch, squeeze, and cut the vegetables up to 1 day ahead. Store them separately from the dressing so they don't water it down.
• •The tofu-sesame dressing can be made 1 day ahead. Stir it before using, then fold in the vegetables shortly before serving.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 125g)