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Writer's pictureAshley Catt

Sichuan dreaming

In a momentous first for this blog, I decided to prepare a recipe in the exact way that it specifies. This may not sound like a particularly significant feat, yet historically I have found it challenging to adhere to a set of instructions when cooking (as evidenced in by my attempt to make Smitten Kitchen's brownies - click here!). Apparently it took getting into cooking to locate the sense of intuition that was MIA for the first 23-25 years of my life.


So, what was it that punched through this Great Wall of culinary insubordination? The Sichuanese dish known as Mapo Tofu, or even more enchantingly Pock-marked Old Woman's Tofu; don't worry, I will give context behind that second name!


I have to admit, I hear about a lot of foods that were previously unknown to me through Molly Wizenberg and Matthew Amster-Burton's podcast Spilled Milk (click here!). Hearing two long-time culinary chroniclers discuss various food-adjacent topics in an approachable and goofy way is a great balm for a fledgling blogger. I think it was their tofu episode in which Mapo Tofu was initially brought up in the context of Fuchsia Dunlop's recipe. I'm not sure what it was about this, but I felt like I needed the guidance of of an outside source to produce what they were talking about. Mercifully, my parents got me a copy of Dunlop's tome full of wisdom, Every Grain of Rice (click here!) for Christmas last year. The book is an approachable, comprehensive, instructive and even humourous overview of everyday Chinese cooking; Dunlop was the first westerner to train at the Sichuan Institute of Higher Cuisine, yet her writing never feels didactic or pretentious (not an ad).


The book also has a lot of anecdotes about Dunlop's extensive time travelling in China, which validates to me once more the importance of the context behind the food you prepare. Personally, China is somewhere I've always wanted to travel, especially to the province of Sichuan with it's intense culinary history and Avatar-inspiring topography; it has been my dream for a while now to be able to spend at least a month in the country. Absorbing the works of food and travel writers can take on something of a wistful quality; almost as if I want to live vicariously through their words. Having just come to the realisation that spending just £90 to go away to France on my own for a few days would be an unwise financial decision, I do have a deep sense of anxiety that I'm never going to be able to live out these hopes.


Perhaps this is why I'm so insistent on following the recipe here. Rather than bringing this dish into my domain by augmenting it through my own instincts, I'm keeping it within Dunlop's own parameters; trace that back, and I'm tapping into something that had it's genesis in Sichuan itself. For the moment, this is the closest I can get to walking in those footsteps. And, for that genesis? Well, I'll outline one quite memorable "theory" for you!


Outside of the province, Mapo Tofu is one of the best one dishes hailing from Sichuan. The eponymous "pock-marked old woman" refers to (potentially apocryphal, but let's pretend otherwise) a Qing-dynasty restaurateur's wife who prepared a braised tofu recipe to distribute to passing labourers in Chengdu, the central city of the province. Visually, the most characteristic aspect of this benevolent tofu bearer was the fact that her face was marked by smallpox scars, giving the name to this famous recipe. Even if this is a mythical tale, it attests to the cult of legend that can arise around a dish; it is never "just food", but it represents to us whatever we place into it. Perhaps the scarred woman never existed, but the sentiments of providing care and a willingness to share remain all the same.


It's hard to describe what this dish is like; peppery, spicy, hearty... it felt very warm to eat. Fermented and salted black beans bolster it's savoury backing, whereas the Sichuan chilli bean paste and the ground Sichuan pepper add a numbing tingle and comforting warmth that can only be conceptualised as the equivalent of a fireplace for your tastebuds. The tofu adds a complex textural element to the dish and the aromatic triumvirate common in Chinese of garlic, ginger and spring onion keep it lively. I thought to myself while eating this for breakfast that every ingredient had a discernible role; if one were to be removed then it would result in a tangible difference.


Usually, at the end of a recipe I will add an adjustments section where I suggest ingredients that could be easier to find than what I have specified. I'm not going to do that this time. I feel pretty strongly this time that if you are to make this then it should be made with the ingredients specified in Dunlop's original recipe. However, I will advise on where these can be found.


Fuchsia Dunlop's Mapo Tofu (Pock-marked Old Woman's Tofu)


Preparation time: 15 minutes

Cooking time: 10 minutes

Serves: 2-4


Ingredients

500 - 600g of plain white tofu

Salt

4 baby leeks or spring onion greens

4 tbsp of cooking oil

2 1/2 tbsp of Sichuan chilli paste

1 tbsp of fermented black beans

2 tsp ground red chillis (optional)

1 tbsp of finely chopped ginger

1 tbsp of finely chopped garlic

100ml of vegetable stock or water

1/4 tsp of ground white pepper

2 tsp of potato flour mixed with 2 tbsp of cold water

1/4 - 1/2 of ground Sichuan pepper


Method

Cut the tofu into 2cm cubes and leave to steep in very hot, salted water while you prepare the other ingredients. Do not allow the water to boil as this will cause the tofu to become porous.


Slice the baby leeks/spring onions at a sharp angle. Crush each garlic clove and finely mince. Finely mince the ginger.

Heat a wok on a high heat. Add the cooking oil and swirl it carefully around the pan (I was terrified that I would spill this on my wrist; be careful!). Turn the heat down to medium and add the Sichuan chilli bean paste; stir-fry until the oil is a rich, red colour and combined with the paste completely.


Add the black beans and ground chillis and stir-fry for a few seconds. Add the ginger and garlic and stir-fry for the same amount of time. You don't want to overcook these ingredients as they still want to be fresh.


Remove the tofu from the water and shake off any excess liquid. Carefully lay the tofu in the wok and fold it in carefully, ideally with a silicone spatula to avoid breaking it up. Add the vegetable stock/water, the white pepper and salt to taste and mix gently again.

Bring to the boil and simmer for a few minutes. If you are using leek slices nudge them into the sauce now. Stir in for a few minutes, and then add a small amount of the water and flour mixture and stir gently as the liquid thickens. Repeat until the sauce clings to the tofu. If you are using spring onions rather than leeks, now nudge them into the sauce and stir until tender.


Pour the tofu into the bowl, and scatter with the ground Sichuan pepper.

Where to find ingredients


  • Sichuan pepper is now generally available in supermarkets. To use my now-common refrain, I got mine in Tesco. Schwarz sell a variety marketed as Szechuan pepper (Szechuan being the romanisation of Sichuan). Also of note, despite the ubiquity of the brand, it took me three attempts to spell "Schwarz" correctly. If your local supermarket doesn't stock Sichuan pepper then you can find it online here!

  • I've found fermented black beans at virtually every Chinese/general Asian supermarket I've stopped by. I initially had trouble because I thought they would be in a pot or a jar, but they came in a plastic bag. You'll find them for around £1.00 at a Chinese supermarket, but if you don't have one of these nearby then you can order them online here (this is a lot more expensive, however).

  • I read online that Sichuan chilli bean paste could be found in one of the two large Chinese supermarkets in Chinatown. Now, this may either be my inferior searching skills, or the fact that I rushed to the enclave during my lunch break, but I couldn't find it. As such, I had to order some online - you can find this here. At £1.95 I think this is very reasonably priced, however Sous Chef deliveries cost £3.50 so I would recommend getting a few other things in with this.

  • Tofu can be found the most cheaply at Chinese supermarkets. The New Loon Moon supermarket sells 600g blocks for just £1.80. After this, you will probably find it most reasonably at Holland & Barratt.

Finally, it is time for Keith's Cocktail Corner! Did anyone watch Cardcaptor Sakura and remember Kero's Corner at the end of the episode? If not, click here! This kind of reminds me of that, except with more alcohol (also, FOTB Keith has neither wings nor ancient magical powers to the best of my knowledge).


So, back on track; Keith recommends a cosmopolitan! He was veering between either a creamy or a tart drink, and I veered him towards the latter. The tartness of the cranberries paired with the acerbic citrus zest of the lime will be a fitting, acidic companion to the warming heat of the Mapo Tofu. I'm sure that the smallpox-scarred woman of myth would have raised a glass too.

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