Mapo Tofu with Minced Pork

📝 Ingredients

• 1 block firm tofu (400 g)
• 300 g minced pork
• 3 garlic cloves
• 20 g fresh ginger
• 3 spring onions
• 2 tbsp chilli oil
• 3 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tsp Sichuan pepper
• ½ chicken stock cube (for 250 ml stock)
• 2 tsp cornflour
• 280 g jasmine rice

🍴 Utensils

• Wok or large sauté pan
• Saucepan with lid
• Colander
• Small frying pan
• Small bowl
• Cutting board and knife

📖 Steps

1. Rinse the jasmine rice in the sieve until the water runs clear. Put it in the saucepan with 420 ml water, bring to the boil, then cover and cook for 12 minutes over a very low heat. Leave to stand, covered and off the heat, for 10 minutes.
2. Dry-toast the Sichuan pepper in the small frying pan over a medium heat for 1 to 2 minutes, until fragrant. Let it cool slightly, then crush it finely on the board with the bottom of a glass or the flat of the knife blade.
3. Dissolve the half stock cube in 250 ml hot water. Cut the tofu into 2 cm cubes, handling it gently. Peel and finely chop the garlic and ginger. Slice the spring onions, keeping the white parts for the sauce separate from the green parts, which are saved for garnishing.
4. Heat the wok over a high heat without any oil and crumble in the minced pork: its own fat is enough. Cook for 5 minutes until nicely browned and a little crispy. Turn down to a medium heat, add 1 tbsp chilli oil, the garlic, ginger and white parts of the spring onions, then stir for 1 minute.
5. Pour in the soy sauce and stock, stir and bring to a simmer. Slide the tofu cubes into the sauce and coat them by gently pushing them with the back of the spatula, without stirring vigorously so they don't break. Simmer for 5 minutes over a medium heat.
6. Mix the cornflour with 3 tbsp cold water in the small bowl. Pour this in a thin stream into the wok, stirring gently: within 1 minute the sauce thickens and turns glossy. If it's too thick, add a little water.
7. Off the heat, drizzle with the rest of the chilli oil and sprinkle with the crushed Sichuan pepper. Taste: the dish should be spicy and leave a slight tingle on the tongue. Serve on the jasmine rice, scattered with the spring onion greens.