Name: Chilled Marinated Tofu
Total time: 3 h
Cuisine: JapaneseAsianAsia
Ingredients: 14 ounces firm tofu, halved lengthwise, then cut crosswise into ½-inch-thick squares; Salt and pepper; 2 cups boiling water; 1/4 cup fish sauce substitute; 1/4 cup mirin; 4 teaspoons sugar; 1/4 ounce wakame seaweed; 1/4 ounce kombu seaweed; 4 teaspoons rice vinegar; 2 sheets toasted nori seaweed, crumbled; 2 scallions, sliced thin on bias; toasted sesame oil

Why This Recipe Works

Marinated raw tofu, called hiyayakko or yakko-dofu, is served throughout Japan during the sticky summer months as a cool and refreshing appetizer or snack. In the best renditions, a flavorful marinade and a few choice garnishes amplify the tofu's delicate sweet-soy flavor. The marinade for this dish is typically a soy sauce–enhanced dashi, the ubiquitous Japanese broth prepared from kombu seaweed and bonito (skipjack tuna) flakes. We replaced the bonito with a glutamate-rich combination of wakame seaweed, fish sauce substitute, mirin, and sugar. This mixture produced a well-rounded marinade: sweet, salty, and robust—almost meaty in its intensity. A splash of rice wine vinegar, added off the heat after the broth had steeped, provided a bit of balance. For the garnishes, we liked a sprinkle of crumbled nori, sliced scallions, and a drizzle of toasted sesame oil.

Before You Begin

A sprinkling of shichimi togarishi (a common Japanese spice mix) tastes good on this tofu. For an accurate measurement of boiling water, bring a full kettle of water to a boil and then measure out the desired amount. For the fish sauce substitute, use either Bragg's Amino Acids or our vegetarian fish sauce substitute recipe.

Instructions

Spread tofu over paper towel–lined baking sheet, let drain for 20 minutes, then gently press dry with paper towels. Season with salt and pepper.

Meanwhile, combine boiling water, fish sauce, mirin, sugar, wakame, and kombu in bowl. Cover and let sit for 15 minutes. Strain liquid through fine-mesh strainer, discarding solids, then return broth to now-empty bowl.

Add tofu and vinegar, cover, and refrigerate until cool, at least 2 hours or up to 2 days. To serve, use slotted spoon to transfer tofu to platter, top with nori and scallions, and drizzle with sesame oil to taste.