Recipe 06 ➺ Analiese Gregory
Mapo Tofu
Analiese Gregory is one of the most talked about and trailblazing young chefs in Australia today, with a string of enviable kitchen credits to her name, including The Ledbury, Michel Bras, Mugaritz and Sydney’s Quay. She packed her bags on a whim in 2017 and moved to Tasmania where she headed up the state’s most acclaimed restaurant, Franklin in Hobart.
Tasmania has given her a semblance of meaning and the life she craved, and she cherishes her time in nature foraging, diving, hunting, cooking on beaches, and connecting with the people whose life work it is to grow our food.
Ingredients & Method
TIMING
30mins Preparation
2.5hours Cooking Time
Feeds 4-6
INGREDIENTS
500g pork mince
500g medium firm tofu
2 onions
5 cloves garlic
1 knob ginger
½ bch kai lan or Asian green
½ bch spring onions
120ml neutral veg oil
3 Tablespoons shao xing
3 Tablespoons light soy
1 cup water or stock
3 Tablespoons doubanjiang
2 Tablespoons lao gan ma original
2 Tablespoons fermented bean paste or miso
¼ tsp ground Szechuan pepper
1 Tablespoon cornflour
1 Tablespoon cornflour
1 tablespoon raw sugar (optional)
30mins Preparation
2.5hours Cooking Time
Feeds 4-6
INGREDIENTS
500g pork mince
500g medium firm tofu
2 onions
5 cloves garlic
1 knob ginger
½ bch kai lan or Asian green
½ bch spring onions
120ml neutral veg oil
3 Tablespoons shao xing
3 Tablespoons light soy
1 cup water or stock
3 Tablespoons doubanjiang
2 Tablespoons lao gan ma original
2 Tablespoons fermented bean paste or miso
¼ tsp ground Szechuan pepper
1 Tablespoon cornflour
1 Tablespoon cornflour
1 tablespoon raw sugar (optional)
METHOD
Ok, so it looks like a lot of ingredients, but you can always make your own version of this with whatever you have. Occasionally I add cubes of steamed eggplant instead of tofu, or throw in shiitake mushrooms instead of greens. The ultimate for me is served over rice and a fried egg with some crispy shallots. It’s one of my all time favourite staff meals and I generally make it about once a week.
Also, hot tip is its really good as a toasted sandwich filling. And over fried eggs for breakfast.
Finely chop onion, garlic and ginger. Heat a heavy based pan with the oil and add the chopped ingredients, then cook out gently till soft with minimal colour. Up the heat and add the pork mince, breaking it apart with a spoon as you go. Once it is nearly all broken down, add the chilli pastes and Szechuan pepper and cook out stirring for a few minutes. Add the rest of the seasonings, the stock or water and the cornflour dissolved into it.
Cook out gently, stirring for a few minutes till the sauce thickens.
Add the shredded greens and cut tofu and gently warm through.
Check the seasoning. I’ve never added salt because there’s so much in the chilli pastes and soy that you shouldn’t need it. Finish with finely sliced spring onions.
Ok, so it looks like a lot of ingredients, but you can always make your own version of this with whatever you have. Occasionally I add cubes of steamed eggplant instead of tofu, or throw in shiitake mushrooms instead of greens. The ultimate for me is served over rice and a fried egg with some crispy shallots. It’s one of my all time favourite staff meals and I generally make it about once a week.
Also, hot tip is its really good as a toasted sandwich filling. And over fried eggs for breakfast.
Finely chop onion, garlic and ginger. Heat a heavy based pan with the oil and add the chopped ingredients, then cook out gently till soft with minimal colour. Up the heat and add the pork mince, breaking it apart with a spoon as you go. Once it is nearly all broken down, add the chilli pastes and Szechuan pepper and cook out stirring for a few minutes. Add the rest of the seasonings, the stock or water and the cornflour dissolved into it.
Cook out gently, stirring for a few minutes till the sauce thickens.
Add the shredded greens and cut tofu and gently warm through.
Check the seasoning. I’ve never added salt because there’s so much in the chilli pastes and soy that you shouldn’t need it. Finish with finely sliced spring onions.