[Whole Grilled Abura-Age]

It is the year 2025 and we are quickly approaching the middle of March. Has it been a while since you have used a hand-held grill, which was very useful for baking rice cakes during the New Year's holiday? Besides the standard morning bread, it has many other uses, such as grilling vegetables and serving as a cake cooler, but this time I would like to introduce a dish that I hope you will try: whole grilled abura-age (fried tofu).

I have always liked to eat grilled atsu-age (thick fried tofu) with dried bonito flakes, green onions, and soy sauce, but the other day I found a recipe on the back of a package of large pieces of abura-age I had purchased that called for grilling them in a pan with no oil to the point of browning, then eating them with shichimi chili pepper and ginger soy sauce. The name “whole grilled abura-age” has a strong impact on me. I see, it takes time for the usual atsu-age to become hot inside, but abura-age may be a shortcut! I immediately prepared grated ginger, placed abura-age on a large grill net with handles, and started heating it over low-medium heat. When the abura-age is just about ready to brown, turn it over with a pair of tongs. The crispy texture you feel from the tip of the tongs will heighten your anticipation. When the reverse side is also cooked, it is transferred to a plate and finished with grated ginger and soy sauce.

Try cutting the abura-age into large pieces and serving it over white rice. Take the first bite of abura-age. The fragrant aroma is crispy on the outside and soft and juicy on the inside, and the grated ginger and soy sauce go perfectly with it. Then, add a little more soy sauce, and serve the abura-age and rice together. It is a feast by itself. All you need to prepare other than rice is ginger and soy sauce. The appeal of this dish is that it is so easy to prepare that you don't even need to remove the oil to make it crispy.

Tsujiwa Kanaami's Tetsuki Yakiami has a fine mesh catch that softens the direct flame of the gas and spreads the heat evenly, allowing the abura-age to cook evenly and to a golden brown. Abura-age is a side dish, a bowl of rice, or even a snack. For toppings, we recommend grated daikon radish, chopped green onion, dried bonito flakes, and the flavor of chili pepper. We hope you will enjoy this simple yet profound flavor at home.

Tsujiwa Kanaami's Tetsuki Yakiami L
https://www.shokunin.com/en/tsujiwa/tetsuki.html
Oya Seisakusho's Copper Grater
https://www.shokunin.com/en/oya/
Kiya's Yakumiyose
https://www.shokunin.com/en/kiya/yakumi.html
Seiryugama's Plate
https://www.shokunin.com/en/seiryu/hirazara.html
Wajima Kirimoto's Sugiwan
https://www.shokunin.com/en/kirimoto/sugi.html