Japanese Recipes: Tomago-dofu

Tomago-dofu - Egg "Tofu"

Serves 7. From Tsuji, p216

1 1/4 cups eggs (about 6 eggs)
2 1/2 cups dashi
1 tsp salt
3 tbsp mirin
3 tbsp light soy sauce

Beat eggs gently until thoroughly mixed but do no allow to froth (I found that twirling a whisk between my hands allowed it to mix the eggs without introducing air). In a separate bowl, mix dashi, salt, mirin, and soy sauce and stir until salt dissolves completely.
Pour dashi mixture into eggs and stir until mixed. Strain through a sieve or a colander lined with cheesecloth. 

Heat a large bamboo steamer over a pot of boiling water. Line 8" baking pan with foil sticking out on 2 sides. Pour egg mixture into pan and cover pan tightly with foil. Place in the bamboo steamer and steam for 30 minutes.

Test with a toothpick - clear broth should seep out of hole. Force-cool the pan in ice water and refrigerate for several hours or overnight.

Sauce for Tamago-dofu:

1 cup dashi
3 tbsp mirin 3/4 cups
3 tbsp light soy sauce 3/4 cups
1 cup bonito flakes

Bring dashi, mirin, and soy sauce to a boil. Add bonito flakes and lower heat to medium. Allow to slowly come up to a boil again. Remove from heat. Strain into a metal bowl through a sieve lined with 2 layers of cheesecloth. Force cool in ice water. Refrigerate.

To Serve:

Remove custard from pan by lifting on the foil. Cut into squares (5x5).
Place 3 squares in each dish and pour 2 tbsp sauce over squares. Garnish with a leaf of kinome or mitsuba.