Daikon to atsuage no nimono / daikon radish cooked with deep-fried tofu

Make a day in advance -- takes on a subtle but deep taste. What a difference!

<Ingredients>

10 cm small daikon radish
1 atsuage deep-fried tofu
250 cc dashi
2 slices ginger
1 1/2 sake
1 1/2 mirin
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp usukuchi soy sauce
Small handful katsuobushi bonito flakes


<Directions>
1.

Prep boil atsuage (or pour boiling water over, paper towel dry) and cut into 4.

Skin daikon and cut into 4-5 cm pieces.

Put katsuobushi in a tea bag, and set aside.










2.

Prep boil daikon in water used for washing rice or with a few dozen grains of uncooked rice.

When soft (toothpick/bamboo skewer goes through smoothly), remove from water, and rinse.

3.

In a pot, put daikon, dashi and ginger.
Place one-size smaller cover directly on top, and cook on medium high heat.

 (Parchment paper cut into circle is used as a cover)









4.

When boiling, add atsuage, sake, mirin, salt and usukuchi soy sauce, put katsuobushi teabag on top, and simmer, with a few places bubbling quietly, for 10 minutes.






5.

Cover, remove from heat, and cool down. Keep cold until ready to eat.

Heat up and serve hot.






<Notes>

• When prepared in advance, ideally a day ahead, this dish offers a pleasant light taste with depth. It would taste too bland immediately after it is done.
• Good, fresh deep-fried tofu is essential. Those in vacuum packs tend to be too firm for this dish.
• Prep boiling daikon in water used for washing rice or water with rice grains makes daikon paler (translucent) and soft, and that daikon absorbs flavor better in the main cooking process. 
• If no pot cover fits inside, a small pie dish, parchment paper cut into circle or foil works. A "dropped" cover makes the liquid circulate and reach all surfaces of ingredients. This technique is often used when preparation uses only a small amount of liquid. 
• This dish may be good cold on very hot days when there is little appetite.