Absolute heaven on earth Monday night fare. Couldn't find chili bean sauce so substituted with a mix of miso paste and crunchy chili oil. Simmered for about 10 minutes to reduce the stock at the end. Didn't have the fermented black beans, didn't give a fuck.
Recipe here: https://www.theguardian.com/food/2018/oct/27/mushroom-mapo-tofu-recipe-meera-sodha
1½ tsp Sichuan peppercorns
2 tbsp rapeseed oil
3 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
1.5cm piece fresh ginger, peeled and grated
200g fresh shiitake mushrooms, finely chopped
1 large leek (about 400g), cut into thin rounds
2 tbsp toasted sesame oil
2 tbsp chilli bean sauce – I like Lee Kum Kee
1 tbsp dark soy sauce
2 tsp salted fermented black beans, rinsed and chopped – I like the ZF brand (optional)
400g firm tofu, cut into 1.5cm x 1.5cm cubes – I like Tofoo
500ml vegetable stock (suitable for vegans)
1½ tbsp cornflour, mixed with 1½ tbsp water
Grind the Sichuan peppercorns in a mortar until very well ground. Take a sniff and revel in their strange and wonderful grapefruit smell.
Heat the oil in large frying pan on a medium flame and, once hot, add the garlic and ginger, and stir-fry for two minutes. Add the mushrooms, cook for six minutes, then add the leeks and stir-fry for a further two minutes, until they soften and unravel. Transfer the vegetables to a bowl.
Put the sesame oil, ground Sichuan peppercorns, chilli bean sauce, soy sauce and black beans in the same pan, and fry for a couple of minutes, until the oil separates. Add the tofu, stir to coat, then return the vegetables to the pan. Pour over the stock, bring to a boil, then stir in the cornflour paste and heat until the sauce thickens. Take off the heat and serve with plain white rice.
