7

106 GOURMET TRAVELLER

Softened butter,

for spreading

12 slices white bread

MA PO TOFU

60 ml (¼ cup) Shaoxing wine

1½ tbsp dark soy sauce

2 tbsp doubanjiang

(see note)

2 birdseye chillies,

finely chopped

1 long red chilli, thinly sliced

2 tbsp peanut oil

500 gm minced pork

1 garlic clove, finely

Ma po tofu jaes

MAKES 6 // PREP TIME 25 MINS // COOK 30 MINS

Ma po tofu is amazing in a jale, the silken tofu making the filling

almost like custard. For a vegetarian version, use 200gm finely

chopped Swiss brown mushroom in place of the pork.

1 For ma po tofu, combine

Shaoxing wine, soy sauce,

doubanjiangand chillies in a

bowl. Heat oil in a wok over high

heat, add pork, garlic and ginger

and stir-fry until starting to brown

(1-2 minutes).Add Sichuan

pepper and stir to combine,

then stir in Shaoxing wine

mixture, spring onion, stock

and chilli sauce. Bring to

the boil, then reduce heat to

medium-high and cook, stirring

occasionally, until pork is

cooked through (8-10 minutes).

Add tofu and cornflour mixture

and stir gently until sauce is

thickened slightly and tofu is

warmed through and coated

(1-2 minutes). Cool briefly.

2 Heat a jale maker. Butter

bread and place half, butter-side

down, on a sheet of baking

paper. Cover with ma po tofu,

spreading a little thicker in the

centre and leaving a 5mm

border, then sandwich with

remaining bread, butter-side

up. Toast in batches in jale

maker until golden brown

(3-5 minutes).

NoteDoubanjiang, a hot chilli

broad bean paste, is available

from Asian grocers.

chopped

10 gm (2cm piece) ginger,

finely chopped

2½ tsp crushed Sichuan pepper

1 spring onion, white part

only, thinly sliced

60 ml (¼ cup) chicken stock

2 tbsp chilli sauce (we used

Lao Gan Ma brand chilli

crisp sauce)

500 gm silken tofu, cut into

3cm pieces

½ tsp cornflour mixed

with 1 tsp water