Japanese · Starter

Kani-dofu Crab and Tofu Balls

Name: Kani-dofu Crab and Tofu Balls
Total time: 1 h 58 min
Yield: 32 to 40 balls; serves 4
Cuisine: Japanese
Ingredients: 450 g firm cotton tofu (about 1½ blocks); 150 g cooked crabmeat, fresh, frozen or canned (about 1 cup); 1 egg, beaten; ¼ tsp salt; 1 tbsp light (usukuchi) soy sauce; 2 tbsp green onion, finely chopped; 1 tbsp fresh ginger, finely grated; 1½ L vegetable oil, for deep-frying; 350 ml cold water; 6 g kombu; 8 g dried bonito flakes (katsuobushi); 60 ml mirin; 60 ml dark (koikuchi) soy sauce; 250 g daikon (for about 1 cup grated)

Sieved tofu and flaked crab bound with egg, scented with ginger and scallion, squeezed into little balls and fried golden at a gentle heat; served with a hot dashi-mirin dip loosened with grated daikon.

Yield32 to 40 balls; serves 4
Hands-on55 min
Total1 h 58 min
Difficulty

Ingredients

balls

450 gfirm cotton tofu (about 1½ blocks)
150 gcooked crabmeat, fresh, frozen or canned (about 1 cup)
1egg, beaten
¼ tspsalt
1 tbsplight (usukuchi) soy sauce
2 tbspgreen onion, finely chopped
1 tbspfresh ginger, finely grated
1½ Lvegetable oil, for deep-frying

dashi

350 mlcold water
6 gkombu
8 gdried bonito flakes (katsuobushi)

dipping sauce

60 mlmirin
60 mldark (koikuchi) soy sauce
250 gdaikon (for about 1 cup grated)

Diet

Pescatarian

Contains

Gluten
Egg
Soy
Fish
Crustacean shellfish
Sulfites
Birds' eggs (any)
Tuna
Bonito
Crab
Legumes (any)
Wheat
Rice
Onion family (any)
Scallion (green onion)
Cabbage family (any)
Radish
Ginger
Mold-ripened and koji-fermented foods
Seaweed (any)
Kelp
Histamine (aged and fermented foods)
Alcohol

Taste

Heat
Sweet
Salty
Umami / savory
Richness / fat
Smoke
Herbal / fresh
Aromatic spice

Texture

Crisp
Creamy

Equipment

Stovetop
Deep fryer
Probe thermometer

Season

Any season

Occasion

Entertaining

Effort

45–90 min active
1–3 hours total
Difficulty 3

Nutrition

Calories: moderate
Protein: moderate
Carbs: low
Fat: high
Fiber: low
Sodium: high

Budget

Budget: moderate

What it costs to shop for

Members can download a cost breakdown for any recipe in Excel: what to buy after trimming, how many packages, and the cost per serving, scaled to however many you’re cooking for.

Method

The method is for members

The timed method (mise en place, a cook timeline with minutes per step, and cook mode with timers) is delivered to members in their packages, adapted to how they cook.

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