Recipe
Mapo tofu, the proper red kind
Silken tofu in a lava-red sauce, buried under crispy beef and a snowfall of Sichuan pepper.
- sichuan
- tofu
- weeknight
The version that started it all. Doubanjiang does most of the work; your job is mostly to not break the tofu while it simmers.
Ingredients
0/11 ready
Method
Method
Slide the tofu cubes into gently salted simmering water for 2–3 minutes, then drain. This seasons them and helps them hold together.
Fry the minced beef in a little oil until properly crispy. Take half out and set it aside — that's the topping.
In the same pan, fry the doubanjiang, douchi, garlic and ginger over medium heat until the oil turns red and it smells like trouble.
Add the stock, sugar and soy, then the tofu. Simmer 4–5 minutes, pushing the tofu around with the back of the ladle, never stirring hard.
Thicken with the slurry in two additions. Fold in the scallions.
Plate, pile the reserved crispy beef in the middle, and dust generously with ground Sichuan pepper. > Thicken twice, not once — the first round binds the sauce to the tofu, the > second sets the gloss. One big pour just makes glue.