Luscious Chile-Oil Tofu

So this is a rather strange statement, but I wish Alex and I ate (and cooked) more tofu.  I really enjoy tofu.  It's a little strange considering as a child you couldn't have paid me to touch tofu with a ten foot pole and given that I rarely ate it in China (except mapo tofu and riben tofu - aka Japanese tofu, both of which I love), but there you have it.  I want to cook and eat more tofu - and not just because it's healthy and a good substitute for meat, but because I like tofu.

Anyway, I enjoyed this dish more than Alex did because I like tofu more than Alex does.  I think the only tofu dish he voluntarily orders is mapo tofu.  This tofu has just a hint of heat from the hot chili oil, some nice numbing spice from the Sichuan peppercorns, and the freshness of the scallions.  And then the pork gives it all another layer of flavor and texture.  I wish that the dish had a few more scallions.  Alex agreed with me there.  If I were to make this tofu again I would throw in another scallion or two - probably two.  I might even add in a garlic clove.  Alex as usual wishes the tofu had a little more heat to it, but I'm ok with the level of heat given that the dish includes both hot chili oil and Sichuan peppercorns.  There we can agree to disagree.

Recipe after the jump!

Luscious Chile-Oil Tofu

Hot, Sour, Salty, Sweet

By Jeffrey Alford and Naomi Duguid

INGREDIENTS:

1 tbsp peanut or vegetable oil

3 scallions, trimmed, smashed flat with the side of a cleaver, cut lengthwise into strips, and then cut cross wise into 1-inch lengths

1/4 cup (about 2 oz) ground pork

4 blocks fresh tofu (about 1 1/2 lbs), cut into 3/4-inch cubes (we used firm tofu from the grocery)

2-3 tbsp Hot Chile Oil (see below)

1 tsp salt, plus a pinch

1/8 tsp freshly ground Sichuan peppercorns, or more to taste (we used about 1/4 tsp)

1 tsp cornstarch, dissolved in 1 tbsp water

Place all ingredients near your stovetop.  Heat a wok over high heat.  Add the oil and swirl to coat, the toss in the scallions, reduce the heat to medium-high, and stir-fry briefly.  Add the pork and stir-fry, breaking up any clumps with your spatula, until it has all changed color, about 1 minute.  Pour off any water that has drained out of the tofu cubes and add the tofu, chile oil, salt and pepper to the wok.  Rise the heat, turn the ingredients gently to mix well, and cook for 30 seconds to 1 minute.  Stir the cornstarch paste, add to the wok, stir to blend, and cook for another 20-30 seconds until the sauce thickens.

Turn out onto a plate or into a shallow bowl.  Serve hot or at room temperature, to accompany rice or noodles.

Hot Chile Oil

Hot, Sour, Salty, Sweet

By Jeffrey Alford and Naomi Duguid

INGREDIENTS:

1/2 cup peanut or vegetable oil

3 tbsp dried red chili flakes (we used a combination of a few whole dried chilis and lots of crushed seeds)

Heat the oil in a wok or skillet.  As soon as it starts to smoke, toss in the chili flakes, taking care not to splash yourself, and remove from the heat.  Let stand until completely cool, then transfer to a clean dry glass jar and store in a cool place.  If you wish, in several days you can strain out the chilis and store them separately or discard them, leaving you with just a gleaming orange hot oil.