Agedashi Tofu with homemade vegetable stock

👨‍🍳 Method

For the Fried Tofu

1. 1
   Cut the tofu into 4 cm cubes and pat them very dry with paper towels.

   KnifeCutting boardPaper towels

   💡Pat the tofu very dry before coating: moisture left in it turns the starch into glue, and the coating comes out soft instead of crisp.
2. 2
   Season the cubes with salt and roll them in the starch, until coated on all sides.

   Plate
3. 3
   Heat the oil in a skillet over medium-high heat and fry the cubes 3–4 minutes on each side, until golden and crisp.

   StoveFrying pan

   💡What you brown (meat, patties, schnitzel) goes into hot oil: in lukewarm oil it soaks it up and comes out greasy. For onion and garlic that you soften, oil heated over medium or low heat is enough; do not wait for it to smoke.
4. 4
   Put the onion, carrot, celery, parsley, garlic, bay leaves and thyme in a large pot with the cold water.

   Large pot

   💡Start with cold water: the vegetables release their flavor slowly as the water heats up.
5. 5
   Bring to a boil over high heat and skim off the foam.

   Stove
6. 6
   Turn down to medium-low heat and simmer uncovered 30–45 minutes.

   Stove

   💡A gentle simmer, not a boil: a hard boil dries the food out and clouds it, a slow simmer cooks it evenly.
7. 7
   Strain the stock through a fine sieve.

   Fine sieve
8. 8
   In a small saucepan, heat the stock, soy sauce, sesame oil and sugar, bring to a gentle boil and reduce slightly.

   StoveSmall saucepan
9. 9
   Arrange the tofu cubes in serving bowls, pour the hot sauce over them, sprinkle with the green onion and serve right away.

   Serving bowl