Mapo Tofu (Dofu) from Scratch
Some time ago, I made this dish (with chicken and peas), but used a packaged 'sauce in a bag,' because I wasn't sure what the real thing would taste like and, for some reason, figured the packaged version would probably have been created to appeal to the broadest range of taste preferences. It was tasty enough but at $4.99 just for the sauce, which made a scant 2-3 servings, not something I was going to be doing on a regular basis. There WERE cheaper, spice mixes (99 cents) but I gave them a pass.
Another reason I opted for the packaged sauce is that the first recipe post that I REMEMBERED for this dish, which was Sissi's, was pretty adamant that Szechuan (Sichuan) pepper was crucial to preparing the dish ... otherwise, don't bother, seemed to be implied. :) I know that Nami made a Japanese variation of the dish and there are several others floating around that I SAW, it's just the post that I remembered best. At the time, I wasn't sure that I was going to be able to FIND the spice but I WAS curious to taste the dish.
I made 2 trips to the largest International grocery store in my area and, even though the package of peppercorns that I bought wasn't labelled Szechuan peppercorns, just PEPPER, it seems to be the right thing based on the pictures I saw on the net, and I bought it on the second visit.
There were lots of pieces of stick and other litter in the package so I picked through and then freshly ground about 2-3 tbsp in my coffee grinder which is now permanently a spice grinder.
The recipe I used has been reproduced in several places but my records say my copy came from here with some slight modifications in the instruction write-up and substitutions. I used more meat than required because the frozen package of pork tenderloin trimmings that I ground up had almost 3/4 of a pound in it and I couldn't figure out what to do with the rest. :)
The result of my 'made from scratch' Mapo Tofu, with leeks and ground pork, was very tasty but I have to figure out what to do with the rest of the Szechuan pepper that I have. I'll definitely boost the amount I use to 1 tsp on my next attempt.
Mapo Tofu - serves 4
Sauce:
1 tbsp fermented black beans (or substitute black bean sauce, with or without garlic**)
1 cup chicken stock
2 tbsp chili bean paste (doubanjiang)
1 tbsp Chinese rice wine, dry sherry or mirin**
1 tbsp sesame oil
2 tsp soy sauce
2 tsp sugar
1/2 -1** tsp ground Szechuan/Sichuan pepper
2 tbsp peanut or vegetable oil**
1/2-3/4** pound ground pork**, beef or chicken
2 leeks, white and pale green parts thinly sliced at an angle
2 cloves garlic, minced or grated**
1-2 tsp ginger, minced or grated with juice**
1 block (3/4 pound) soft, medium-firm or firm tofu**, drained and cut into 1-inch cubes
1 tbsp cornstarch, mixed with 2 tbsp water
1 scallion or green onion**, green part chopped for garnish
** What I used
To prepare the sauce: If using fermented black beans, rinse to remove any grit. This is not necessary if using the black bean sauce from a jar. In a small bowl, mash the black beans with the back of a spoon. Combine the black beans with the chicken stock, chili bean paste, rice wine, sesame oil, soy sauce, sugar, and Sichuan pepper and set aside.
Trim the root ends off two leeks, then cut on a diagonal starting at the white root end until you get to the end of the pale green portion. Break up the rings and float in a colander set into a bowl of water so that the grit falls to the bottom. Discard the water and grit and repeat 2 more times so that the leek slices are well cleaned. Reserve.
Heat a wok or large skillet over high heat until a bead of water sizzles and evaporates on contact. Add the oil and swirl to coat the base and sides. Add the pork and stir-fry until crispy and starting to brown but not yet dry, about 2 minutes, breaking up the pork with a spatula. Reduce the heat to medium, then add leeks, garlic, and ginger and stir-fry until fragrant, about 1 minute.
Pour in the sauce and bring the liquid to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. The liquid should now be a rich red color. Gently add the tofu cubes, being careful to not move them around too much or else they will break up. (You don't have to worry about that too much if using firm tofu.) Allow the sauce to simmer for about 2 to 3 minutes so the tofu can cook and absorb the the sauce.
Carefully push the tofu to the sides and create a small well in the middle. Stir in the cornstarch mixture in the center. Allow the liquid to simmer for another minute, until the sauce has thickened enough to coat the back of a spoon. Transfer to a deep plate or wide bowl, sprinkle scallions on top, and serve hot.
Another reason I opted for the packaged sauce is that the first recipe post that I REMEMBERED for this dish, which was Sissi's, was pretty adamant that Szechuan (Sichuan) pepper was crucial to preparing the dish ... otherwise, don't bother, seemed to be implied. :) I know that Nami made a Japanese variation of the dish and there are several others floating around that I SAW, it's just the post that I remembered best. At the time, I wasn't sure that I was going to be able to FIND the spice but I WAS curious to taste the dish.
I made 2 trips to the largest International grocery store in my area and, even though the package of peppercorns that I bought wasn't labelled Szechuan peppercorns, just PEPPER, it seems to be the right thing based on the pictures I saw on the net, and I bought it on the second visit.
There were lots of pieces of stick and other litter in the package so I picked through and then freshly ground about 2-3 tbsp in my coffee grinder which is now permanently a spice grinder.
The recipe I used has been reproduced in several places but my records say my copy came from here with some slight modifications in the instruction write-up and substitutions. I used more meat than required because the frozen package of pork tenderloin trimmings that I ground up had almost 3/4 of a pound in it and I couldn't figure out what to do with the rest. :)
The result of my 'made from scratch' Mapo Tofu, with leeks and ground pork, was very tasty but I have to figure out what to do with the rest of the Szechuan pepper that I have. I'll definitely boost the amount I use to 1 tsp on my next attempt.
Mapo Tofu - serves 4
Sauce:
1 tbsp fermented black beans (or substitute black bean sauce, with or without garlic**)
1 cup chicken stock
2 tbsp chili bean paste (doubanjiang)
1 tbsp Chinese rice wine, dry sherry or mirin**
1 tbsp sesame oil
2 tsp soy sauce
2 tsp sugar
1/2 -1** tsp ground Szechuan/Sichuan pepper
2 tbsp peanut or vegetable oil**
1/2-3/4** pound ground pork**, beef or chicken
2 leeks, white and pale green parts thinly sliced at an angle
2 cloves garlic, minced or grated**
1-2 tsp ginger, minced or grated with juice**
1 block (3/4 pound) soft, medium-firm or firm tofu**, drained and cut into 1-inch cubes
1 tbsp cornstarch, mixed with 2 tbsp water
1 scallion or green onion**, green part chopped for garnish
** What I used
To prepare the sauce: If using fermented black beans, rinse to remove any grit. This is not necessary if using the black bean sauce from a jar. In a small bowl, mash the black beans with the back of a spoon. Combine the black beans with the chicken stock, chili bean paste, rice wine, sesame oil, soy sauce, sugar, and Sichuan pepper and set aside.
Trim the root ends off two leeks, then cut on a diagonal starting at the white root end until you get to the end of the pale green portion. Break up the rings and float in a colander set into a bowl of water so that the grit falls to the bottom. Discard the water and grit and repeat 2 more times so that the leek slices are well cleaned. Reserve.
Heat a wok or large skillet over high heat until a bead of water sizzles and evaporates on contact. Add the oil and swirl to coat the base and sides. Add the pork and stir-fry until crispy and starting to brown but not yet dry, about 2 minutes, breaking up the pork with a spatula. Reduce the heat to medium, then add leeks, garlic, and ginger and stir-fry until fragrant, about 1 minute.
Pour in the sauce and bring the liquid to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. The liquid should now be a rich red color. Gently add the tofu cubes, being careful to not move them around too much or else they will break up. (You don't have to worry about that too much if using firm tofu.) Allow the sauce to simmer for about 2 to 3 minutes so the tofu can cook and absorb the the sauce.
Carefully push the tofu to the sides and create a small well in the middle. Stir in the cornstarch mixture in the center. Allow the liquid to simmer for another minute, until the sauce has thickened enough to coat the back of a spoon. Transfer to a deep plate or wide bowl, sprinkle scallions on top, and serve hot.
