Osaka Kitsune Udon (Thick Noodles with Sweet Fried Tofu in Dashi)
Quick answer
- Total time
- 30 min
- Level
- Easy
- Servings
- 2 servings
- Ingredients
- 8
About this dish
A sheet of sweet, soy-simmered fried tofu sits on top of the bowl, and every bite squeezes its braising liquid out into the broth.
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That broth is a clear dashi made from kombu and bonito flakes, pale in color but full in flavor, in the Kansai style associated with Osaka. Reducing the tofu until its simmering liquid is nearly gone puts the sweetness inside the tofu rather than leaving it in the pot. It tastes best once it has soaked in the hot soup for a moment and gone soft. In Osaka this is everyday food, eaten as an early breakfast as readily as at lunch.
Ingredients
Instructions
- 1
Pour 900ml water into a pot with 10g kombu and heat gently over low heat.
Remove the kombu just before boiling, add 15g bonito flakes, steep for 2 minutes, and strain to yield 800ml clear dashi.
- 2
Place 4 aburaage on a rack and pour boiling water over them to remove excess surface oil.
Removing the oil allows the simmering liquid to penetrate cleanly.
- 3
Combine 200ml dashi, 1 tbsp soy sauce, 1 tbsp mirin, and 2 tbsp sugar in a pot and bring to a boil.
Add the aburaage and simmer uncovered over medium-low heat for 10 minutes until almost all the braising liquid is absorbed.
- 4
Season the remaining 600ml dashi with 2 tbsp soy sauce and 1 tbsp mirin to make the udon broth.
Bring to a boil, taste, and adjust seasoning.
- 5
Cook 400g udon according to package directions, rinse under cold water, then place in serving bowls and pour the hot broth over them.
- 6
Place the simmered aburaage on top of the broth and sprinkle with 1 thinly sliced scallion.
The dish is at its best when the aburaage softens slightly in the hot broth.
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