鮭と豆腐和え

Salmon and Tofu Balls

An izakaya usually serves small appetisers and snacks that are shared. Typical foods on the menu include yakitori, sashimi and yakisoba, as well as bite-sized snacks like these deep-fried balls. The wasabi dipping sauce adds an extra kick.

MAKES 18

WASABI MAYONNAISE DIPPING SAUCE

125 g (4½ oz/½ cup) Japanese mayonnaise

1 teaspoon Japanese soy sauce

1 teaspoon mirin

1 teaspoon Japanese rice vinegar

½ teaspoon wasabi paste

SALMON AND TOFU BALLS

200 g (7 oz) silken firm tofu

400 g (14 oz) tinned red salmon, well drained to yield about 250 g (9 oz)

2 spring onions (scallions), finely chopped

2 teaspoons finely grated fresh ginger, squeezed to remove excess liquid

1 garlic clove, crushed

2 teaspoons mirin

1 tablespoon Japanese soy sauce

1 egg

2 tablespoons plain (all-purpose) flour

pinch of ground white pepper

potato starch, for coating

vegetable oil, for deep-frying

lemon wedges, to serve

To make the dipping sauce, put all the ingredients in a small bowl and combine well.

To weight the tofu, wrap it in a clean tea towel. Put two plates on top of the tofu and leave for about 2 hours to extract any excess moisture. Remove from the tea towel, then pat dry with paper towels. Put in a bowl and finely mash with a fork. Break up the salmon with a fork, picking out any bones. Finely mash with a fork and add to the bowl with the tofu, along with the spring onion, ginger, garlic, mirin, soy sauce, egg and flour and combine well. Season with salt and white pepper. If the mixture is still too wet, then put in a fine colander and leave for 30 minutes to drain out any excess liquid. With clean hands, form into balls about the size of a walnut and set aside—you should get about 18 balls. Don’t worry if the balls seem quite soft.

Fill a deep-fat fryer or large saucepan one-third full of oil and heat to 180°C (350°F), or until a cube of bread dropped into the oil browns in 15 seconds. Lightly coat the balls in potato starch then immediately lower into the oil. Cook in batches, turning occasionally, for 2–3 minutes, or until golden all over and cooked through. Drain on paper towels and keep warm in a low oven while you repeat with the remaining mixture. Serve immediately with lemon wedges and the wasabi mayonnaise dipping sauce.