Mapo tofu is a Sichuan dish found in fine Chinese restaurants and takeouts around the world. It can be made quickly and it pairs especially well with Taft Street Russian River Sauvignon Blanc. This recipe was adapted from the work of Kenji Lopez-Alt.
INGREDIENTS:
- 2 tablespoons pepper, preferably Sichuan
- ¼ cup vegetable oil
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch
- 2 teaspoons water
- 1 pound firm silken tofu, cut in ½ inch cubes
- 1/4/ pound ground beef
- 2 cloves garlic minced1 teaspoon grated ginger
- 2 tablespoons fermented chili paste
- 2 tablespoons rice wine or sherry
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- ¼ cup chicken stock
- Sliced scallions for garnish
COOKING INSTRUCTIONS:
- Heat half of peppercorns in a skillet over high heat until lightly smoking. Grind until fine and set aside.
- Add remaining peppercorns and oil to skillet and heat for a minute or two. Drain peppercorn and discard, saving oil.
- Mix corn starch and water in small bowl and set aside. Bring medium pan of water to boil and add tofu. Cook 1 minute and drain carefully.
- Heat oil in skillet until smoking. Add garlic and ginger and cook 15 seconds. Add bean paste, wine, soy sauce and chicken stock and bring to a boil. Add cornstarch mixture and cook 30 seconds. Add tofu and cook 30 seconds.
- Transfer to serving bowls and top with peppercorn and scallions. Serve with white rice.
Serves 4