This delicious Japanese dish, Sake tofu agedango, comes from a well-used favourite cookbook JAPANESE COOKING CLASS COOKBOOK by Consumer Guide. Best made with fresh salmon but canned salmon will work as well.
First cook your salmon. Place 340g (12 oz) of salmon in 2 cups of cold water with ½ a teaspoon each of sake and salt. Bring to a simmer and cook until cooked through and flaking. Drain discarding any skin and bones before chopping finely. If using canned salmon drain well and break into small pieces with a fork. Next, boil some water and cook 285g (10 oz) of classic soft tofu cut into 6 pieces for 2 minutes. Remove to a cloth-lined sieve and when it’s not too hot to handle, squeeze as much liquid out of the tofu as you can. Place the tofu in a bowl and break into small pieces with a fork. Add the salmon, 2½ tablespoons of plain flour, ½ a teaspoon of sugar and ½ a teaspoon of salt. Mix well and shape into 4cm (1½”) balls. Place ⅓ of a cup of flour in a shallow bowl and roll the balls in the flour, shaking off any excess flour. For the dipping sauce, in each person’s dipping bowl pour 1 tablespoon of soy sauce then pile 1 teaspoon of grated ginger in the centre. To cook the salmon balls, heat vegetable oil to 160ºC (325ºF) in a deep fryer, wok or saucepan. Fry in batches of 5 or 6 balls at a time. When the balls are golden brown, remove them with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels. Serve hot.
Try this classic Japanese bean salad as an accompaniment. With only four ingredients, it’s simple to make and can be prepared ahead of time.
In a dry pan toast 3 tablespoons of white sesame seeds until just browning a little. Remove from the pan and set aside. Bring a pot of water to boil, adding 1 teaspoon of salt. Prepare your beans and add them to the boiling water, cooking for 3-5 minutes, depending on size, until tender but still crunchy. Drain and rinse under cold water immediately then place into a bowl. To make the dressing, grind the sesame seeds in a mortar and pestle or grinder leaving some whole seeds for texture. Add 1 tablespoon of soy sauce and 1 tablespoon of sugar and mix together into a paste. Add the dressing to the beans and toss well. This salad can be served at room temperature or chilled.
*recipe from JUST ONE COOKBOOK
michelle picker cooks 