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    Jia Chang Dou Fu - Sichuanese Home-Style Tofu

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    Jia Chang Dou Fu - Sichuanese Home-Style Tofu

    This is typical of Sichuanese home cooking, and the kind of simple supper dish that you don’t often find in Chinese restaurants. Vegetarians can simply omit the pork.

    • Preparation time: 15 minutes
    • Cooking time: 10 minutes
    • Total time: 25 minutes 25 minutes

    Serves: 2

    Ingredients

    • 200ml groundnut oil
    • 500g tofu, drained and sliced 1cm thick
    • 100g pork fillet, thinly sliced
    • 2 tbsp chilli paste or sambal oelek
    • 3 garlic cloves, sliced
    • 1cm fresh root ginger, sliced
    • 300ml chicken stock or water
    • ½ tsp white sugar
    • 1 tsp light soy sauce
    • 3 baby leeks or salad onions, sliced diagonally
    • ½ tsp cornflour

    Method

    1. Pour the groundnut oil into a wok and heat to 190°C, or until a cube of bread turns golden in 20 seconds. Add the tofu in batches and deep-fry until puffy and golden (it should still be white and juicy inside). Drain well and set aside.
    2. Pour off all but 2 tbsp oil and warm over a moderate heat. Add the pork and stir-fry for 1 minute until the slices separate. Then tip in the chilli sauce and stir-fry until the oil is red and fragrant. Add the garlic and ginger and sizzle for 1 minute, until you can smell their aromas.
    3. Pour in the stock, add the fried tofu and bring to the boil. Turn the heat down slightly, season with the sugar and soy sauce to taste, and simmer for about 3–5 minutes until the liquid is reduced and the tofu has absorbed some of the flavours of the sauce.
    4. Add the leeks or salad onions and stir for 2–3 minutes, until just cooked. Mix the cornflour with 1 tbsp cold water and pour into the centre of the wok; stir until the sauce thickens, then turn out onto a serving plate.

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    Drinks recommendation

    A chilled, crisp sherry is surprisingly good with the soft, spicy-savoury flavours here.

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