Mapo tofu
Andrew Wong’s recipe for this classic Sichuanese dish is deeply savoury and spicy. It layers different fermented ingredients like doubanjiang, black beans and pickled chillies and finishes with a dusting of crispy fried chilli and tingly Sichuan peppercorns. Despite the strong, punchy flavours, tofu is still the star of the show, gently slipped in during the last five minutes to preserve its delicate texture.
This recipe is an extract from Open Kitchen: Top Chefs share Inspirational Recipes to try at Home. Next, try Santiago Lastra's recipe for churros.
See all the best recipes from the House & Garden archive.
Ingredients
Serves 4
Tofu
To Serve
Method
Step 1
Heat the oil in a pan to 150°C. Add the chillies and peppercorns and fry until fragrant and lightly toasted. Carefully drain off the oil, and let the spices cool for 5 minutes. Grind the fried chillies and peppercorns into a powder and set aside.
Step 2
Blanch the tofu in boiling water for 30 seconds, then drain and chill in cold water.
Step 3
Fry the beef in a wok until the fat begins to render. Add the doubanjiang and hot pot paste and fry until the oil turns red. Add the pickled chillies, ginger and black beans, then mix. Deglaze the pan with Shaoxing wine.
Step 4
Add 200ml water and bring to a simmer, then add the oyster sauce, sugar and white pepper. Taste and add salt if needed. Add the tofu to the pan and simmer for 5 minutes. Add half the potato starch slurry then cook for a few minutes – if it doesn’t quite thicken enough, add the rest of the slurry.
To Serve
Step 5
Garnish with sesame seeds, sesame oil, chopped spring onion and the seasoning powder. Serve with steamed jasmine rice.
