A gently simmered tofu and pork dish flavoured with Xianyitang Sichuan peppercorns, dried bird's-eye chillies and chilli bean paste. Start with the milder chilli quantity and adjust to taste.
Times are estimates and include preparation; some tasks can overlap. Check doneness as described.
Recipe illustrations; measure ingredients using the written quantities.
Toast the peppercorns gently in a clean dry pan over low heat for about 30–60 seconds until fragrant, without blackening. Cool and grind finely, removing obvious hard stalks. Wipe the dried chillies clean and snip into small pieces; start with 0.5 g and remove some seeds for a milder dish. No soaking is needed and only small amounts from each pack are used. Wash your hands after handling chillies and avoid touching your eyes.
Drain and cube the tofu and chop the ginger, garlic and spring onions. Mix 8 g cornflour with 20 ml cold water and stir again just before use. Chilli bean paste is already salty, so do not add salt or soy sauce at this stage.
Heat 20 ml oil in a wide pan over low heat. Add the dried chillies and stir for 30–60 seconds until fragrant, without burning. Add ginger, garlic and spring-onion whites for about 1 minute. Increase to medium heat, add the pork and break it up as it cooks, about 5–7 minutes until fully cooked. A clean probe in the thickest clump should reach 75°C for at least 30 seconds; continue cooking if needed and never taste raw pork.
Reduce to medium-low heat. Stir in the ground peppercorns for about 15 seconds, then add the chilli bean paste and stir for 30–60 seconds. Do not fry the peppercorns for too long or they may turn bitter. Add 150 ml stock or water, mix and bring to the boil.
Gently add the tofu and simmer over low heat for 5–7 minutes until hot through the centre. Nudge with a spatula or gently move the pan rather than breaking the tofu with vigorous stirring. Stir the slurry again, add gradually and simmer gently for 1–2 minutes until the sauce lightly coats the tofu. You may not need all the slurry.
Taste the cooked sauce and add the optional sugar if wanted. Add the spring-onion greens and heat for about 30 seconds, then serve with freshly cooked rice, which is not included in the recipe quantities. Adjust the peppercorn and chilli quantities next time rather than adding a large amount of unprepared dried chillies at the end.
Contains soya (tofu and bean paste); bean paste or stock may also contain wheat, celery or other allergens. The Xianyitang dried-ingredient packs state that they are packed in a facility also handling peanuts, tree nuts, sesame and soya. Check the actual labels of every brand used.
Keep raw meat refrigerated at 5°C or below; follow the raw-meat pack instructions. Separate raw and cooked utensils and clean hands and surfaces after handling raw meat. Divide leftovers into shallow containers, cool promptly and refrigerate within 2 hours of cooking. Eat within 48 hours or freeze. Reheat only once until steaming hot throughout.
