Ultimate Sichuan Mapo Tofu

Open the package of tofu and stand it up in the sink to drain.

Cut the aromatics. Mince 10g of ginger (no need to peel), mince 1 clove of garlic, and score the Japanese leek accordion-style before mincing it. The leek is used in two batches.

For the garlic chive topping, roughly chop the leaves, and cut the thicker cores on a slant so they cook through easily.

Coarsely crush 1 teaspoon of Sichuan pepper in a mortar. If you don't have a mortar, chop it with a knife or cover it with plastic wrap and crush it with a bottle or similar.

Coarsely chop 1/2 tablespoon of douchi and soak it in 1 tablespoon of Shaoxing wine.

Make the combined seasonings. Mix together 1/2 tablespoon soy sauce, salt, pepper, 1/3 teaspoon sugar, and 1/2 tablespoon tianmianjiang.

Cut the tofu into evenly sized cubes. Cut it in half horizontally, then in half again, and half once more.

Heat 1.5 tablespoons of sesame oil in a frying pan and fry the garlic, ginger, half the leek, and the Sichuan pepper over medium-low heat without letting them burn, transferring their aroma into the oil. If you want to add heat, add the chili pepper at this point.

Once the aroma comes up, add 1 heaping tablespoon of doubanjiang and fry it in the oil to bring out its fragrance.

Raise the heat, add the ground meat, and fry it thoroughly. When the sizzling sound turns to a crackling one and the oil runs clear, that's the sign the moisture has cooked off.

Before it burns, add the combined seasonings and the douchi soaked in wine, and let the meat absorb them to make the zhajiang. Tianmianjiang burns easily, so don't fry it for long.

Add 120cc of water and 1 teaspoon of chicken stock powder to loosen it into a soup, scraping up and dissolving the flavorful bits stuck to the pan.

Add the tofu to the pan, breaking it apart as you go, and simmer over low heat for 4 to 5 minutes. Parboiling isn't necessary; simmering it in the soup draws out moisture from the tofu that carries the flavor of the soybeans.

When the tofu has changed color and feels springy to the touch, taste and adjust. If it's too weak, add soy sauce; if it's too strong, add water. Since you'll be adding liquid and oil after this, slightly strong is just right.

Lower the heat and move the pan off the burner to bring the temperature down, then add the cornstarch slurry a little at a time in several additions, stirring gently to thicken. With a ladle, press it in with the back; a spatula makes it easier to stir.

Once it's thickened enough, add the remaining leek and the garlic chives, stir lightly, and let the residual heat cook them.

To finish, add 1 tablespoon of chili oil as a finishing oil and sear it over high heat for 30 seconds to 1 minute. Cook until the oil separates and floats to the surface and it's just starting to catch a little.

When the aroma is at its peak, serve in a heated dish and finish with a sprinkle of Sichuan pepper to taste.