Homemade Inari Age

1. Before You Start: I want you to consider doubling the ingredients, especially if you‘re making Inari Sushi. Why? The aburaage is very fragile and you may end up breaking the pouches and making holes. It‘s always nice to have backup pouches! Now, gather all the ingredients.

To Prepare the Aburaage

1. Bring a medium saucepan of water to a boil. Meanwhile, cut 6 pieces aburaage (deep-fried tofu pouch) in half crosswise. Gently open the aburaage pouches all the way to the bottom. It‘s easier to separate the skin at this step than trying to open it after simmering.
2. If a pouch is hard to open, gently roll it with a chopstick. This rubbing helps to separate the two sides and make it easier to open the pouch.
3. When the water is boiling, cook the aburaage for 2 minutes while pressing them down into the water and turning them over. This helps to remove the factory oil used for deep-frying.
4. Drain the aburaage into a sieve and rinse the saucepan. Gently press the aburaage with a ladle to squeeze out the water. Do not press hard as the aburaage tears easily.

To Cook the Inari Age

1. In the same saucepan, combine 1½ cups dashi (Japanese soup stock), 3 Tbsp soy sauce, 3 Tbsp mirin, and 3 Tbsp sugar. Bring it to a boil.
2. Once boiling, add the aburaage to the saucepan. Layer them in a flower petal-like shape around the pan. This makes it easier to flip the aburaage later.
3. Place an otoshibuta (drop lid) directly on the surface of the aburaage (you can make your own drop lid with aluminum foil). Cook on medium-low heat for 30–40 minutes. Flip the aburaage occasionally to make sure they‘re simmering evenly. If the cooking liquid reduces rapidly, your heat is probably too high, so turn down the heat to low.
4. When there is ¼–½ inch (1 cm) of cooking liquid left in the saucepan, remove it from the heat. Let the aburaage soak in the cooking liquid until it cools completely.

To Serve

1. Your homemade Inari age is now ready to use in recipes like Inari Sushi and Kitsune Udon.

To Store

1. Transfer the Inari age and cooking liquid to an airtight container. Store it in the refrigerator for 3 days and in the freezer for 3 weeks.