Yudofu (湯豆腐, Kyoto tofu hot pot)

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Donabe (Japanese clay pot), or a wide heavy pot
• •Small tori-zara serving plates or shallow bowls
• •Slotted spoon or small ladle
• •Small dishes for condiments

Instructions

1. 1

   Choose the tofu

   Choose the freshest tofu you can find, soft enough to tremble but firm enough to lift in large pieces. Smell it before you cook. It should smell clean and faintly sweet, never sour or stale. Yudofu hides nothing, so poor tofu will announce itself with great confidence.

   Sourcing is the first secret here. Technique keeps good tofu from being spoiled, but it cannot make tired tofu taste alive.
2. 2

   Prepare the pot

   Wipe the konbu gently with a damp cloth, but don't wash it. That pale powder on the surface is flavor, not dirt. Lay the konbu in the bottom of a donabe or wide pot, add the cold water, and let it stand for 10 minutes if you have the time. A short soak gives the kelp a head start without roughness.

3. 3

   Cut the tofu

   Cut the tofu into large cubes, about 5cm across, and slide them into the cold water. Large pieces warm evenly and are easier to lift whole. Small pieces break, and then the pot turns cloudy before dinner has even begun.

4. 4

   Warm it gently

   Set the pot over medium-low heat and warm it slowly. Watch the edges of the pot, not the clock. When tiny bubbles begin to climb and the tofu looks faintly swollen and trembling, lift out the konbu. If the konbu boils, it gives bitterness to the water, and bitterness has no business in this quiet pot.

   You're using konbu to season the water softly. Once the water nears a boil, the kelp has done its work.
5. 5

   Hold below boiling

   Keep the pot just below a simmer, with only a few small bubbles at the side. Do not let it roll. A rolling boil tightens the tofu and roughens the surface, while gentle heat keeps the curd smooth and custard-like. Add mizuna or spinach for the last minute if using, just until glossy and bright.

6. 6

   Set the condiments

   Pour the ponzu into small dipping bowls. Set scallion, grated ginger, grated daikon, and katsuobushi, if using, in little dishes beside the pot. Keep each condiment separate so every person can season their own bowl. This is the method, not the menu: the pot stays plain, and each bite is finished at the table.

7. 7

   Serve from the pot

   Lift each piece of tofu with a slotted spoon or small ladle and let the water drain for a breath before setting it into the dipping bowl. Eat it while it is soft and hot, with a little ponzu and one or two condiments. Don't drown it. The tofu should still be the thing you taste.

Chef Tips

• •For honmono yudofu, look for tofu made recently and sold in water, not a shelf-stable block with a long list of helpers. Ask when it was made. That question tells you more than any label.
• •Use a donabe if you have one, because clay warms gently and holds heat at the table. A wide, heavy pot works perfectly well. The important thing is slow heat and enough room to lift the tofu without breaking it.
• •Ponzu should be bright, salty, and citrus-sharp, but not so harsh that it erases the tofu. If yours tastes flat, add a few drops of fresh yuzu, sudachi, or lemon at the table.
• •For a fully meatless table, leave off the katsuobushi and use konbu only. That is at home with temple cooking, not a compromise.

Advance Preparation

• •The konbu can soak in the measured cold water for 30 minutes, or overnight in the refrigerator for a rounder, gentler broth.
• •Slice the scallions and grate the ginger and daikon up to 2 hours ahead. Keep them covered and chilled, then set them out just before serving.
• •Cut tofu shortly before cooking. If it sits cut for too long, it weeps and loses the clean surface that makes yudofu so pleasing.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 285g)