Braised Aubergine with Tofu

SERVES 4

900g aubergine, ideally Chinese aubergine if you can find it

100g table salt

2tbsp vegetable oil

6 cloves of garlic, 2 whole cloves lightly crushed with the back of a knife and 4 thinly sliced

2 spring onions, thinly sliced 3tbsp pickled Sichuan vegetables 350g firm tofu, cut into 1in cubes 2tbsp fresh coriander, roughly chopped

FOR THE SAUCE

2tsp black vinegar (Chinkiang vinegar) 150ml Wing Yip Shaohsing wine 1tbsp corn starch

3tbsp Wing Yip light soy sauce 2tbsp brown sugar

1tbsp fermented chilli paste 1tbsp Wing Yip pure sesame oil

● Cut the aubergine into roughly 2in cubes and place in a colander. Sprinkle over the salt and mix thoroughly to ensure the aubergine is evenly coated. Leave for at least 30 minutes, but ideally for an hour. Rinse the aubergine thoroughly to ensure that any remaining salt is removed and then pat dry with kitchen paper.

● Place into a steamer with a lid which has been carefully placed over boiling water. Cook for 10-15 minutes, or until completely soft. Carefully remove the steamer from over the boiling water and set aside. ● While the aubergine is cooking, in a separate bowl combine the sauce ingredients and whisk until the corn starch has dissolved and then set aside.

● Once the aubergine has steamed and the sauce has been mixed, heat a clean wok over a medium heat and add the vegetable oil. Add the two lightly crushed whole garlic cloves and stir-fry until lightly golden. This should take approximately five minutes. If the garlic cloves are browning too quickly, turn down the heat.

● Remove the garlic cloves and discard as these were used to flavour the oil. Turn up the heat to high and add the thinly sliced garlic, white parts of the spring onions and the pickled Sichuan vegetables. Stir-fry for one minute and then add the sauce mixture to the wok, being careful not to let any of the ingredients burn. Constantly stir until the sauce ingredients have fully incorporated.

● Add the steamed aubergine to the sauce and then carefully add the cubed tofu. Gently fold all the ingredients through the sauce and bring to the boil. Once boiling reduce the heat to low and simmer for five minutes or until the sauce has thickened. Ensure the aubergine and tofu are piping hot.

● Serve immediately with boiled jasmine rice and garnish with the spring onion greens and the coriander.