Inari-zushi

Inari (稲荷大神) is the Shinto kami (spirit) of rice, agriculture, fertility and, once money replaced rice as the principle commodity for wealth, general prosperity and worldly success as well. More than one-third of the Shinto shrines in Japan are dedicated to Inari – a number totaling approximately 32,000.
 
The principle messenger who takes prayers to Inari are kitsune (狐 or Japanese fox) spirits. The entrance to an Inari shrine is usually marked by kitsune statues wearing red bibs, because presenting a food offering to a kitsune messenger is believed to be one of the best ways to make sure that your prayer is delivered to Inari. Kitsune spirits are thought to be particularly fond of aburage (油揚げ), or fried tofu slices. In 1848 chef Jiro Kichi began making a new type of sushi in which he stuffed sumeshi balls into poached aburage pouches. Because kitsune are also fond of rice, and Inari is a rice spirit, these little treats were associated with Inari and her kitsune messengers, and began being called 'inari-zushi'.

Inari-zushi is perhaps our favorite form of sushi, and are a wonderful way to use your homemade tofu.

The following recipe will make somewhere between one and two dozen inari-zushi, depending upon the size of the fried tofu pouches.

2 lbs tofu
oil for deep frying
1½ cups water
1/3 cup sugar
¼ cup soy sauce
1 tablespoon mirin
½ batch sumeshi
sesame seeds

Slice tofu into 3”x2”x¼” pieces or 3”x1½x1½ rectangles, and dry. Heat oil to 350º F. Fry tofu in 4-5 batches, turning once, until golden on both sides, about 5 minutes. Remove from oil  and drain on paper toweling.

If using thin tofu pieces, simply cut the thin side in half along the long axis. If using the larger tofu pieces, make 4 cuts, each about ¼” from the edge and not quite all the way to the bottom and lift out the middle rectangular piece of tofu, creating a hollow fried tofu rectangle.

Combine water, sugar, soy, and mirin in a small pot, and bring to a simmer. Add in the fried tofu pouches / rectangles in batches and poach for 10 minutes. Remove tofu and drain in a colander. When all pouches have been poached, fill with sumeshi balls (see February 2014 recipe for instructions), and garnish with sesame seeds.

Serve at room temperature.

Archive

Copyright Statement