Uguisu tofu

  • Side
  • medium
  • 4
  • 1 hour 45 minutes
Not yet rated

Uguisu tofu, also known as emerald tofu, takes its name from the bright green plumage of the Japanese nightingale. The colour comes from a pea paste of broad beans or edamame, which separates as the tofu cooks resulting in the striking layers of colour. Unlike many other varieties Hideki Hiwatashi's homemade tofu recipe is made from egg, making it vegetarian but not vegan. Any leftover dashi can be frozen, or stored in the fridge for up to a week.

First published in 2016

Ingredients

Metric

Imperial

Uguisu tofu

Dashi

Edamame paste

  • 100g of edamame
  • 50ml of water
  • 1 pinch of salt

Equipment

  • Thermometer
  • Food processor
  • Steam oven

Method

1
Begin by preparing the dashi. Mix together the water, kombu and mushrooms in a large stock pot and place over a low heat. Bring up to 65°C and cook gently for 1 hour
2
Meanwhile, prepare the edamame paste. Bring a pan of salted water up to the boil and add the peas. Bring back up to the boil and simmer for 2 minutes
3
Drain the peas and transfer to a blender along with a pinch of salt and the measured water. Blitz until smooth, then pass through a sieve amd set aside
4
Preheat a steam oven to 85°C, 100% steam
5
Strain the dashi through a sieve, discarding the mushrooms and kombu. Measure out 160ml and transfer the remaining dashi to the fridge or freezer to use in other recipes
6
Mix together the dashi, eggs, soy sauce, mirin, and salt in a bowl. Weigh out 50g of edamame paste and add this to the mixture, stirring until thoroughly combined
7
Pour the mixture into a deep baking tray and cover with clingfilm. Place in the oven and steam for 25 minutes
8
Once cooked through, remove the tofu from the oven and leave to cool a little. Using a cutter or sharp knife, cut the tofu into even pieces to serve

With over fifteen years of rigorous Japanese culinary training behind him, Hideki Hiwatashi is well versed in the art of kaiseki cuisine.

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