Yield: 10 portions
Ingredient Amount
Bean curd, regular - soft or firm, 2 lb.
cut 1 inch dice
Ground pork ½ lb.
Vegetable oil as needed to stir fry
Sichuan pepper, whole 2 Tbsp.
Ginger, minced 4 oz..
Garlic, minced 6 cloves
Scallion, sliced thinly 4 oz.
Hot bean paste 4 Tbsp.
Dry shiitake mushroom caps, 1/2 #
stems removed - hydrate in 2 qt. water, cut in 1/4s, reserve water for cooking
Thin Soy Sauce 2 Tbsp.
Rock Sugar or sugar in the raw 2 tsp.
Sesame oil 2 tsp.
Crushed black pepper 2 tsp.
Red Chili oil (recipe follows) 2 Tbsp.
Mise en Place
1. Drain bean curd from package liquid, cut as directed and soak in lightly salted mushroom liquid. Measure and prepare all other ingredients, keep individual ingredients separate.
2. Before service, Sichuan peppers should be gently toasted in a small pan with 4 oz. vegetable oil, removed from pan when crisp and aromatic, cooled, crushed, and set aside for later addition to the dish. Oil from this procedure may be used to begin cooking at service.
At service
1. Place oil from peppercorns in wok and heat gently
2. Add garlic, ginger, and hot bean paste to oil and stir fry over low heat until aromatic.
3. Add ground pork, increase heat – slightly. Stir fry until meat begins to lightly brown – do not burn other ingredients in doing so.
4. Add shiitake mushrooms to oil, again, increase heat slightly – be careful not to burn –and stir fry briefly.
5. Add mushroom liquid, bean curd, soy sauce, and sugar. Lower heat and simmer gently for a few minutes – be careful not to evaporate all of the liquid away.
6. Add the crushed Sichuan peppercorns.
7. Finish dish with black pepper, scallions, sesame oil, red chili oil.