Taught by personal chef DECO

Easy to make「Simmered Tofu」

Easy to make「Simmered Tofu」Taught by personal chef DECO

DECO / Founder of Traveling Chef DECO

A traveling chef and founder of 'DECO Bento.After serving as head chef at 'DOSANJIN,' a handmade stone-milled soba specialty restaurant in Ikejiri, Tokyo, he became an independent traveling chef.The healthy, seasonally inspired bento boxes that highlight the natural flavors of the ingredients are popular among models and magazine professionals.

Ingredients for 1 serving (for 2 people)

Silken tofu

1 block

Title

Deep-fried tofu

1 piece

Title

Mushroom

200g

*This time, shiitake, shimeji, enoki, and maitake mushrooms are used.

Title

Duck meat (if unavailable, use pork belly or chicken thigh)

100g

Title

Shredded green onions

To taste

Title

Water-diluted katakuriko (potato starch)

1 tablespoon katakuriko (potato starch), 1 tablespoon water

Title

【A】 ※白だしベースのめんつゆで代用可

Dashi

300ml

Title

Sake

50ml

Title

Usukuchi soy sauce

60ml

Title

Mirin

50ml

Title

How to make it

  1. Season the dashi and thicken it with katakuriko.
    Add A to a pot and bring it to a boil. Once boiling, turn off the heat, then slowly stir in the water-diluted katakuriko while mixing with a ladle. Bring it back to a boil and simmer while stirring until it thickens.
  2. Make shallow cuts in the skin of the duck, then cook it in a frying pan to render out the excess fat. (Making cuts helps the fat to render more easily.)
  3. Cut the deep-fried tofu into 1 cm-wide strips, slice the duck into 3 mm-thick pieces, and cut the mushrooms into bite-sized pieces.
  4. Place the lightly drained tofu into the HEGE and heat it up.
  5. Pour the sauce from step 1 generously over the tofu and simmer over medium heat for about 3 minutes.
  6. Place mushrooms and duck on top of tofu, cover with a wooden lid, and steam over low heat for 1 minute. Once the ingredients are cooked, sprinkle green onions, and it’s ready to serve!
  7. Enjoy by breaking the tofu apart. You can also pour it over rice.

Simmered tofu is a staple dish that I often enjoy both at work and at home.

It's so easy that even my elementary school daughter can make it by herself. While it's delicious with just tofu, feel free to drizzle some sesame oil on top or switch out the ingredients for various adaptations!

〜DECO's Favorite Points〜

The biggest advantage is that it's easier to handle compared to a clay pot.
「Lightweight, quick to heat, easy to clean, and fast and intuitive to use.」
It's not heavy and is compact, making it easy to store in the refrigerator. Since you can reheat it directly when you want to eat, it’s very convenient.

Recommended Products

 

A φ250 Open Fire Pot set featuring an original sawara wooden lid made from durable Kiso sawara wood, known for its excellent water and moisture resistance.

Photo:Tetsuya Ito