Sichuan mapo tofu

SERVES 4 PREP + COOK TIME 25 MINUTES

2 teaspoons sichuan peppercorns, toasted, lightly crushed

1 tablespoon cornflour

¼ cup (60ml) Chinese cooking wine (shaoxing)

1 cup (250ml) chicken stock

1 tablespoon kecap manis

3 teaspoons white sugar

½ cup (125ml) water

1 tablespoon sesame oil

4 cloves garlic, crushed

500g minced pork

¼ cup (75g) chilli bean paste

300g fresh silken tofu, drained, cut into 2cm cubes

¼ cup (35g) roasted peanuts, coarsely chopped

2 green onions, sliced thinly steamed rice, for serving 1 Stir peppercorns in a dry wok or frying pan over medium heat for 1 minute or until fragrant. Crush lightly with a pestle and mortar. (Alternatively, place on a chopping board and crush with the base of a clean, heavy-based saucepan.) 2 Whisk the cornflour, cooking wine, stock, sauce, sugar and the water in a medium jug until combined.

3 Heat the sesame oil in a wok over high heat. Add garlic and pork; stir-fry for 8 minutes or until pork is browned.

Stir in bean paste and half the peppercorns; stir-fry mixture for a further minute.

4 Stir cornflour mixture into pork mixture in wok; cook until mixture boils and thickens slightly. Reduce heat to medium; cook for 5-7 minutes. Carefully add tofu and stir gently to combine.

5 Top with peanuts, green onion and remaining crushed peppercorns.

Serve with steamed rice.

Suitable to freeze before adding tofu.