Barring the recipes for making tofu, shira aé must be my favourite recipe in your Asian Tofu book. I certainly made it more than any other recipe there.
I have also smeared it on thin pancakes, rolling the pancakes up and then just gobbling them up, but you can also top those pancakes with veggies. Spinach leaves, blanched in water (with a few drops of sesame oil.)
Mind you, I have also put it on freshly baked bread, with thinly sliced radishes and freshly ground pepper.
One other thing very much worth mentioning: it is great as a generous dollop added to certain soups. If I have some shira aé in the fridge I will always put it in a bowl of pumpkin or red pepper soup. It's a divine extra.
THIS is excellent,Jan! Shira ae is magical, useful stuff. So happy you’re on familial terms with the recipe in Asian Tofu. Now you have the full story. Ha.
The flavor that I ended up with this version reminded me of fermented tofu misozuke. Using shelf stable tofu required adding lots of other stuff to counter its strong flavor.
Well, I had never thought of using (or even buying!) long shelf life tofu, since to me that seemed to defeat the whole purpose of tofu, but I was very happy to read that it works so well for making shira ae. I love it but up till now I had to make fresh tofu in order to make it - and while I don't mind that, it is really nice to have it almost the moment that you fancy some.
So truly thank you very much for telling us about that. (Yes, I immediately ordered some.)
Ah if you use the mori-nu in other recipes, do remember that it's more "dense". Even though that 300g block of tofu looks small, we find that it's ample to feed two people. It definitely feels a lot more "filling" than homemade tofu.
Yes, I am also going to experiment with frying this. I do manage that with homemade tofu but it takes a bit more effort to get it firm enough for frying without falling apart in the skillet.
Whether I end up using this for other things on a more regular basis will depend on how distracting I find the 'natural' taste of this type of tofu.
We almost always have a few packets of mori-nu tofu on hand for days when we can't get to the market. Like you, we also make our own, but yeah, that's not a spur of the moment thing 😝.
Another advantage is that mori-nu doesn't need to be refrigerated cos of the way it's packaged, so you can save some precious fridge space. Ours is stuffed so full, we have to be careful opening the door...
We normally get the silken mori-nu though, so we'll have to grab some of the firm tofu to whip up a batch of Andrea's shira ae.
If you haven't tried packet tofu before, Morinaga has a YT vid on how to open up the packet without squishing the tofu 😉.
Oh yes, shira ae is super versatile! We like to do a plain perilla leaf wrap, sometimes adding a strip of samgyeopsal. Haven't tried it on bread/toast yet - thanks for the tip ☺️
So pleased you decided to "re-visit" shira ae! I often add nuts (walnuts or pine nuts are favorites). And when persimmons are in season (another month from now because of our l-o-n-g summer in Japan) I scoop out the fruit and mound the shira ae in it https://tasteofculture.com/2019/10/22/persimmon-power/
Elizabeth! That is so darn adorable. I would have never thought of scooping out a Fuyu persimmon to use as an edible serving vessel. Using shira ae with persimmon -- is that old school or new wave Japanese cooking?
It is quite common to use fruit shells as a serving vessel. Often yuzu (or lemon) is hollowed out and filled with ikura (salmon roe). The combination of fruit and a bitter green being tossed in shira ae is also fairly common. I don't know that I could place a date on it but it is not an original idea (and I remember being served it in the 1960's).
Oh what a delightful recipe! We love persimmons, both fresh and as hoshigaki. When they come back in season, we'll definitely make this, probably with shungiku as the bitter green, or maybe baby watercress.
Do you think cashews would work well as a base for a nutty shira ae? Pine nuts are lovely, but these days, we can only get the Chinese variety, which tends to leave a slightly metallic aftertaste.
I have never tried cashews... let me know. when in Hawaii I tried macadamia nuts and they were wonderful (did a shira ae with fresh pineapple and mitsuba). yes, I use shungiku or seri with persimmon
Excellent post! We never thought of using mori-nu tofu for shira ae before, but that makes perfect sense actually, thanks!
As it happens, we always have a few packs on hand in case we can't get to the market for "fresh" tofu. We do make our own too, but that definitely needs some pre-planning.
At our supermarts, mori-nu tends to be a bit more expensive, but not so bad that the price is a deal breaker.
We'll definitely use your recipe to whip up a batch of mori-nu shira ae this weekend 👌.
Oh for those who haven't bought mori-nu before, Morinaga has a YT vid on how to open up the packet without squishing the tofu 😉.
Just wanted to say I really appreciated the time you took to write the recipes with both weight and volume measurements. Now if every cookbook writer would convert to this I would be an extremely happy camper
I made the shira ae again but this time I went all-out fusion, replacing the miso (one on one!) with a quite hot and really excellent green curry paste*. I used a bit more lemon juice and I added parsley (because it was there.)
I love the result but don't try this at home if you don't like it hot.
*Most store bought curry pastes are meh. The oh-so-subtly named Cock Green Curry Paste is the real deal.
Whoa! That’s a bold move, Jan! Store-bought curry paste pales in comparison to homemade. I happen to have quite a bit of homemade paste these days in my freezer. Did you have to cook it a little before adding it to the tofu?
Why did I never get to eat shira-ae when I lived in Tokyo? No matter -- I now have your recipe with Elizabeth Andoh's seal of approval. Tofu always makes me happy, and this looks luscious. Can't wait to try. Thank you!
Hi Ellen! Maybe because it's a homey dish? My memory is fuzzy but I ate it at tofu-centric places, including a shojin ryori spot in Kyoto. It's super easy to make and I bet your homemade will be spectacular!
Love this! Made is as a composed salad last night, with the shira ae spread across the plate then topped with blanched vegetables.. Even my tofuphobe husband went for it.
Barring the recipes for making tofu, shira aé must be my favourite recipe in your Asian Tofu book. I certainly made it more than any other recipe there.
I have also smeared it on thin pancakes, rolling the pancakes up and then just gobbling them up, but you can also top those pancakes with veggies. Spinach leaves, blanched in water (with a few drops of sesame oil.)
Mind you, I have also put it on freshly baked bread, with thinly sliced radishes and freshly ground pepper.
One other thing very much worth mentioning: it is great as a generous dollop added to certain soups. If I have some shira aé in the fridge I will always put it in a bowl of pumpkin or red pepper soup. It's a divine extra.
THIS is excellent,Jan! Shira ae is magical, useful stuff. So happy you’re on familial terms with the recipe in Asian Tofu. Now you have the full story. Ha.
The flavor that I ended up with this version reminded me of fermented tofu misozuke. Using shelf stable tofu required adding lots of other stuff to counter its strong flavor.
Thank you for adding to the recipe!
Well, I had never thought of using (or even buying!) long shelf life tofu, since to me that seemed to defeat the whole purpose of tofu, but I was very happy to read that it works so well for making shira ae. I love it but up till now I had to make fresh tofu in order to make it - and while I don't mind that, it is really nice to have it almost the moment that you fancy some.
So truly thank you very much for telling us about that. (Yes, I immediately ordered some.)
Ah if you use the mori-nu in other recipes, do remember that it's more "dense". Even though that 300g block of tofu looks small, we find that it's ample to feed two people. It definitely feels a lot more "filling" than homemade tofu.
100 percent!!!! The block looks small but there's a lot of soy bean packed into it.
Yes, I am also going to experiment with frying this. I do manage that with homemade tofu but it takes a bit more effort to get it firm enough for frying without falling apart in the skillet.
Whether I end up using this for other things on a more regular basis will depend on how distracting I find the 'natural' taste of this type of tofu.
It should work well for stir-fries - good luck!
We almost always have a few packets of mori-nu tofu on hand for days when we can't get to the market. Like you, we also make our own, but yeah, that's not a spur of the moment thing 😝.
Another advantage is that mori-nu doesn't need to be refrigerated cos of the way it's packaged, so you can save some precious fridge space. Ours is stuffed so full, we have to be careful opening the door...
We normally get the silken mori-nu though, so we'll have to grab some of the firm tofu to whip up a batch of Andrea's shira ae.
If you haven't tried packet tofu before, Morinaga has a YT vid on how to open up the packet without squishing the tofu 😉.
https://youtu.be/ln6Q8GPys5g?feature=shared
Thanks for the YT tip!
Oh yes, shira ae is super versatile! We like to do a plain perilla leaf wrap, sometimes adding a strip of samgyeopsal. Haven't tried it on bread/toast yet - thanks for the tip ☺️
So pleased you decided to "re-visit" shira ae! I often add nuts (walnuts or pine nuts are favorites). And when persimmons are in season (another month from now because of our l-o-n-g summer in Japan) I scoop out the fruit and mound the shira ae in it https://tasteofculture.com/2019/10/22/persimmon-power/
Elizabeth! That is so darn adorable. I would have never thought of scooping out a Fuyu persimmon to use as an edible serving vessel. Using shira ae with persimmon -- is that old school or new wave Japanese cooking?
It is quite common to use fruit shells as a serving vessel. Often yuzu (or lemon) is hollowed out and filled with ikura (salmon roe). The combination of fruit and a bitter green being tossed in shira ae is also fairly common. I don't know that I could place a date on it but it is not an original idea (and I remember being served it in the 1960's).
Oh what a delightful recipe! We love persimmons, both fresh and as hoshigaki. When they come back in season, we'll definitely make this, probably with shungiku as the bitter green, or maybe baby watercress.
Do you think cashews would work well as a base for a nutty shira ae? Pine nuts are lovely, but these days, we can only get the Chinese variety, which tends to leave a slightly metallic aftertaste.
I have never tried cashews... let me know. when in Hawaii I tried macadamia nuts and they were wonderful (did a shira ae with fresh pineapple and mitsuba). yes, I use shungiku or seri with persimmon
Ooh macadamias 😋. Yes, that must have been delicious, thanks! Will try both and let you know.
Excellent post! We never thought of using mori-nu tofu for shira ae before, but that makes perfect sense actually, thanks!
As it happens, we always have a few packs on hand in case we can't get to the market for "fresh" tofu. We do make our own too, but that definitely needs some pre-planning.
At our supermarts, mori-nu tends to be a bit more expensive, but not so bad that the price is a deal breaker.
We'll definitely use your recipe to whip up a batch of mori-nu shira ae this weekend 👌.
Oh for those who haven't bought mori-nu before, Morinaga has a YT vid on how to open up the packet without squishing the tofu 😉.
https://youtu.be/ln6Q8GPys5g?feature=shared
They also offer some useful recipes, both sweet and savoury.
https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLNufyCHj4mf-43p7td9tnAmuq7McY6czQ&feature=shared
Just wanted to say I really appreciated the time you took to write the recipes with both weight and volume measurements. Now if every cookbook writer would convert to this I would be an extremely happy camper
(or cook!☺️)
Same here! We prefer the scale, but there are times when you just don't have one on hand.
Love this recipe! Is there life beyond tofu?
There, is but it would be blander than many people claim that tofu is.
I made the shira ae again but this time I went all-out fusion, replacing the miso (one on one!) with a quite hot and really excellent green curry paste*. I used a bit more lemon juice and I added parsley (because it was there.)
I love the result but don't try this at home if you don't like it hot.
*Most store bought curry pastes are meh. The oh-so-subtly named Cock Green Curry Paste is the real deal.
Whoa! That’s a bold move, Jan! Store-bought curry paste pales in comparison to homemade. I happen to have quite a bit of homemade paste these days in my freezer. Did you have to cook it a little before adding it to the tofu?
No, I just added it, straight from the fridge.
Why did I never get to eat shira-ae when I lived in Tokyo? No matter -- I now have your recipe with Elizabeth Andoh's seal of approval. Tofu always makes me happy, and this looks luscious. Can't wait to try. Thank you!
Hi Ellen! Maybe because it's a homey dish? My memory is fuzzy but I ate it at tofu-centric places, including a shojin ryori spot in Kyoto. It's super easy to make and I bet your homemade will be spectacular!
Love this! Made is as a composed salad last night, with the shira ae spread across the plate then topped with blanched vegetables.. Even my tofuphobe husband went for it.