Slice 8 oz of mushrooms of your choice into bite-sized pieces. Since you’ll be using a shiitake stock, even an inexpensive mushroom will take on a very rich flavor in this dish.
Break apart 3.5 oz enoki mushrooms and rinse thoroughly.
Heat two teaspoons of sesame oil on a pan.
Sauté the sliced mushrooms for 2 minutes.
To the sautéing mushrooms, add two tablespoons of soy sauce, the enoki mushroom clumps, and two cups of shiitake stock. Shiitake stock can be purchased, or made in batches to freeze at home. Follow this shiitake dashi recipe to create it.
Bring this pan to a simmer and cover. Cover and simmer for five minutes.
Whisk 4 tablespoons of corn starch in just enough water to dissolve it.
Slowly stir the corn starch mixture into the simmering pan to thicken the An Sauce. Keep the completed sauce warm.
Chop a block of medium-soft tofu into four large pieces. Each should be about the size of a pudding cup.
Use a ladle to gently drop the tofu blocks into boiling water. Each block should be intact in the final dish. Lower the heat and simmer for three minutes. When you remove them from the water, they will have a bouncier texture that is pleasant to cut into.
Gently remove the tofu blocks from the water and place them on a paper towel. Pat dry with a second paper towel.
Place each tofu block on an individual plate or bowl, to be eaten separately. Ladle some of the warm An Sauce on each block, and serve immediately. Enjoy!