TWO SICHUAN DISHES

[Guest guest]

One of my favorite tofu dishes is " ma po dou fu, " which I reproduce

here. Versions of this dish are quite common on the the menu of the

Chinese fast-food restaurants in food court malls in the U.S. The dish

can be very, very spicy, which should not be a problem for members of

this group.

 

This recipe is adapted from Fuchsia Dunlop's " Land of Plenty: a

treasury of authentic sichuan cooking. " Ms. Dunlop is a young

Englishwoman who speaks, reads and writes Chinese, studied cooking in

Chengdu, the capital of Sichuan province, works for the BBC, and is a

consultant to the best, and most authentic Sichuanese restaurant (Bar

Shu) in London. Having learned the legend behind this dish, she refers

to it in English as " Pock-Marked Mother Chen's Bean Curd " after its

legendary creator, the proprietress of a working-class restaurant in

Chengdu.

 

MA PO DOU FU

 

Contents:

1 block tofu (c. 1 lb)

4 small or 2 large leeks, or 4 scallions

peanut oil

2 1/2 Tablespoons sichuan chili bean paste

2 Tablespoons fermented black beans

up to 2 teaspoons ground chiles (to taste)

1 Cup stock or water

1 teaspoon white sugar

2 teaspoons light soy sauce

salt to taste

4 Tablespoons cornstarch or potato starch, mixed in 6 Tablespoons water

1/2 teaspoon ground roasted sichuan pepper

 

Preparation directions:

1. Cut block of tofu into about 1 inch square cubes, steep in hot

or simmering lightly salted water

2. Slice leeks into angular slices about 1 1/2 long

3. Add peanut oil to wok, heat over high flame until smoking.

4. When oil is hot, add sichuan chili bean paste, stir-fry for 30

seconds

5. Add fermented black beans and ground roasted sichuan chiles (to

taste), stir-fry for another 30 seconds, until fragrant and oil in the

wok is chili colored

6. Add stock, stir well, then add bean curd.

7. Mix bean curd with sauce gently, so as not to break it up

8. Season with the sugar, soy sauce, and salt to taste

9. Simmer for 5 or more minutes to allow the tofu to absorb the

flavors of the sauce

10. Add sliced leeks or scallions

11. Add corn starch or potato starch in water to the contents of the

wok, and mix gently until the sauce has thickened and sticks to the tofu.

12. Transfer to a bowl, sprinkle with ground sichuan pepper (to

taste), and serve with white rice.

 

 

FISH-FRAGRANT EGGPLANTS

 

This dish is also from Fuchsia Dunlop's cookbook. It has has no fish or

animal products in it, but is one of the vegetable dishes that the

Sichuanese call " fish fragrant " because it is made with spices and

flavorings used in traditional Sichuanese fish cooking (pickled chiles,

garlic, ginger, scallion).

 

Contents:

approx. 1 1/2 lbs eggplants.

salt

peanut oil for frying

1 1/2 Tablespoon sichuan chili bean paste

3 teaspoons minced ginger

3 teaspoons minced garlic

1/2 Cup stock or water

1 1/2 teaspoon white sugar

1/2 teaspoon light soy sauce

1 1/3 teaspoon corn starch or potato starch, mixed in about 3 teaspoons

cold water

1 1/2 teaspoon Chinese black vinegar

4 scallions, green parts only, sliced into rings

1 teaspoon sesame oil

 

Preparation directions:

1. Cut eggplants into sections, something on the order of 1 inch

by 1 inch by 3 inches

2. Salt eggplants slightly if they are European eggplants and let

drain for 1/2 hour; this step is not necessary with Asian eggplants

3. Heat enough oil in wok to deep-fry eggplant sections to 350-400

degrees

4. Fry eggplant sections in batches 3-4 minutes, until slightly

golden on outside and soft inside, then remove and drain on paper towels

5. Drain oil from wok.

6. Heat wok, add 2-3 Tablespoons of oil.

7. Add sichuanese chili bean paste to oil in wok, stir-fry 20-30

seconds until oil is red and fragrant

8. Add minced ginger and garlic, stir for 20-30 seconds

9. Add stock, sugar, and soy sauce, and then stir, and season with

salt if desired

10. Add fried eggplant sections to sauce in wok

11. Allow to simmer for a few minutes

12. Add corn starch or potato starch in water, stir gently, then add

vinegar and scallions

13. Leave on low heat for a few minutes, then remove from heat, add

sesame oil, and stir

 

 

Sichuan pepper is not, technically, a pepper, but the seed husks of a

shrub that belongs to the same botanical family as citrus. The

sichuanese chili bean paste (called " toban djan " ), contains red chili

paste and fermented soy and fava beans. I have seen the Lee Kum Kee

brand, labeled " Chili Bean Sauce " / " toban djan " (sku 731033), in Asian

food stores around the U.S. Chinese black vinegar has an interesting

and complex fragrance and flavor, slightly like that of balsamic

vinegar, and the best ones are said to be made in Laochen. I have found

and particularly like the " Shuita " brand of Laochen vinegar, and now

even prefer it to most balsamic vinegars (i.e., the ones I can afford),

and use it in salads, even when I'm not cooking Chinese. If you can't

find Chinese black vinegar, you might use a little balsamic. As for

stock, if you don't make your own veggie stock, the vegetable stock sold

in tetra-packs at Trader Joe's and other food stores will do.

[Guest guest]

These look delicious! About the Ma Po Dou Fu, I see another version (different

spices and somewhat different ingredients - so really another recipe altogether)

in the Chinese etc. folder, called Red-Cooked Tofu With Chinese Mushrooms (or

some such name) and I used to make (but had forgotten about until now - so

_thank you_ very very much for the reminder!) something learned from a

Singaporean friend which used soft tofu which was carefully added to the sauce

right at the end to be heated through by it. It was lethal! LOL  I shall try

your version soon - looks more interesting and will still delight my love for

hot and spicy!

 

Love and hugs, Pat