Clark’s Spicy Doufu

“MaPo Doufu” is one of the most famous dishes of Sichuan cooking. As a student in China I was able to visit the restaurant in Chengdu where this classic dish of the province was purportedly first created by Mr. and Mrs Chen during the Ching dynasty in1862. The restaurant burned down in 2005 and has since moved to a different location in the city but its fame remains intact. There is some debate as to whether “mapo” refers to the honorific “old lady Ma” or to “pocked marked” as “po” or to “ma” as in “hot” in Mandarin Chinese. Quite frankly in my mind it really doesn’t matter: what does, is using Sichuan peppercorns which give the “la” numbing element, dry chilis and silken or soft doufu. If you’ve only experienced doufu as something that replaces say beef (as in tofu burgers) try this dish, and it will open your eyes to what doufu really can be!

This is our vegetarian version of this fiery dish, and it’s “Our” version. We’ve really tried to create the authentic flavor that you’d experience in Chengdu but not necessarily the technique. Believe me there are plenty of ways to make Mapo Doufu, some folks cook the doufu first, some use cornstarch others Sichuan peppercorn powder, I’ve even seen five spice powder added. No matter what, ours is a tasty dish! if you want to add ground pork to this recipe go ahead it makes an even more robust dish.

INGREDIENTS

• ¼ canola oil

• 6 dried red Chinese peppers coarsely chopped

• 1 tablespoon chili sambal

• 1 ½ Sichuan peppercorns

• 1 ½ T garlic minced

• 1 ½ T fresh ginger minced

• 2 T fermented black bean paste

• 1T Chinese fermented black beans

• ¼ C chicken stock

• 2 T soy sauce

• 2 T rice wine vinegar

• 1 lbs silken or soft doufu

• ½ t sesame oil

• ½ cup scallions sliced

TO MAKE

In a wok or large sauté pan, heat the oil until it is very hot. Add the chili’s and stir for half a minute, then add the chili paste, Sichuan peppercorns, garlic, ginger and bean paste stirring rapidly so the ingredients do not burn. Add the chicken stock, soy sauce and vinegar, then the doufu. Reduce the heat by a third and stir the doufu gently with a wooden spoon so as incorporate the ingredients but not break up the doufu too much. When the doufu is hot, put the mixture on a hot serving dish and garnish with the scallions and sesame oil.

Serve this dish at once and be sure not to eat the dried red chili’s!