Steps

1. Place 1 block (approx. 400g) of silken tofu in a deep dish.
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2. Cut the tofu in half horizontally.
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3. Cover the tofu with paper towels, place an equally sized plate on top as a weight, and let it drain for 1 hour to thoroughly remove excess water. (This is the key!!) Thoroughly draining the water prevents the simmering liquid from becoming diluted and the flavors from becoming bland.
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4. In a frying pan, combine 300ml of water, 1 tsp of dashi granules, 50ml of Mirin (Sweet Rice Wine), 50ml of Cooking Sake (Rice Wine), 2 tbsp of Soy Sauce, and 1.5 tbsp of Sugar.
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5. Gently stir to combine.
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6. Thinly slice 1/2 onion. (This is the key!!) Thinly slicing the onion allows it to absorb plenty of the simmering liquid, creating a deeply flavored experience when eaten with the tofu.
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7. Add the thinly sliced onion to the simmering liquid, making sure it doesn't clump together. If it has clumped, break it apart with chopsticks.
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8. Finely chop the stem parts of the Japanese parsley (mitsuba), and roughly chop the leaves.
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9. Thoroughly pat dry the surface of the tofu.
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10. Cut one block of tofu into about 6 pieces. (This is the key!!) Cutting it into smaller pieces (or tearing it by hand) makes it easier for the flavors to penetrate the tofu.
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11. Gently add the cut tofu to the simmering liquid.
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12. Place the frying pan over medium-low heat.
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13. Once it comes to a full simmer in the center, cover with a piece of paper towel (otoshifuta). Poke holes in the center and a few other spots to prevent overflowing.
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14. Reduce the heat to between low and a simmer, and cook for 20 minutes, maintaining a gentle, slow bubbling. (This is the key!!) Cooking on high heat will evaporate the simmering liquid, so maintain a gentle bubbling temperature.
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15. About 3 minutes before it's done, prepare 2 eggs and mix them by breaking up the egg whites. (This is the key!!) Mixing the eggs just enough to break up the egg whites creates a textural contrast between the yolk and white. Ensure the egg whites are not left raw.
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16. After 20 minutes, reduce the heat to low, remove the paper towel lid, and carefully drain excess simmering liquid.
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17. Drizzle the beaten eggs over the entire dish.
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18. Sprinkle the chopped Japanese parsley (mitsuba) evenly over the top.
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19. Cover and cook for 1 minute to set the eggs.
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20. Turn off the heat. It's ready!
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