Mapo Tofu

Serves 2

Time 40 minutes

Ingredients

400g soft tofu, cubed

1 tbsp vegetable oil 

150g pork mince 

3 Lap Cheong sausages, chopped

Salt & pepper

1 knob ginger, microplaned

4 cloves garlic, roughly chopped

1 tsp Sichuan pepper 

1 red chilli, sliced

1 tsp shiitake 

200g mushrooms, chopped 

1 tbsp chilli paste

3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1 bunch spring onions, whites chopped, greens sliced

3 tbsp fermented black beans

1 tbsp caramel cooking sauce

2-3 tbsp light soy

¼ tsp sesame oil

2-3 tbsp cornflour mixed with equal water to form a slurry

Method

Add tofu to a pot of salted boiling water. Turn the water off once the tofu has been added. 

Add 1 tablespoon vegetable oil and pork mince to a hot pan, use a spoon to break it apart, add the Lap Cheong sausage as the pork is browning. Season with salt and pepper. Add garlic and ginger and stir through the meat. Add Sichuan pepper, chilli, mushrooms and chilli paste, stir for a few minutes, add remaining oil while stirring. 

Add white ends of spring onion and the tofu to the frypan with black beans, caramel sauce, light soy, sesame oil, stir through cornflour slurry. 

To serve, mix meat through the tofu mixture and top with green sliced spring onions.