Mapo Tofu

Mapo Tofu Dish Guide

Serves 4

8 oz ground pork

16 oz firm tofu, patted dry and cubed

1 cup chicken stock

2 T minced garlic

3 T minced ginger

2 T doubanjiang (fermented broad bean paste)

1 T corn starch

1 T dark soy sauce

3-4 scallions, diced

1-2 T Szechuan peppercorn, toasted and ground

1 T brown sugar

½ t toasted sesame oil

1 T olive oil

Toast the peppercorns in a dry wok or skillet for 2 minutes and grind them in a spice blender or mortar and pestle.

Add the olive oil to a wok over high heat and cook the ground pork, crumbling it into tiny pieces as it cooks. Once just cooked through, make room in the middle of the wok and add the sesame oil, ginger, garlic and white parts of the scallions. Stir and cook for 1 minute. Add the doubanjiang and half the peppercorns and stir, cooking for 1 minute more. Add the stock, soy sauce and brown sugar. Stir to combine.

Gently slide the tofu in and cover with the liquid. Reduce heat to medium and simmer for 5 minutes.

Mix 1 T water with the T of cornstarch and stir to make a slurry. Add slurry to the sauce and stir gently until sauce thickens. If sauce is too thin, add more slurry. If it is too thick, add a splash of water or stock.

Serve immediately with white, steamed rice and garnish with the scallion greens and a sprinkle of more ground peppercorn.