Notes: 
Although this recipe is vegetarian, Mapo tofu is traditionally made with ground beef or pork — if you prefer, substitute 8 ounces of meat for the
mushrooms and use chicken stock instead of vegetable. Cook and add the meat following the instructions given for mushrooms, except if the meat is fatty, reduce the oil from ¼ cup to 3 tablespoons.

Fermented black beans and bean paste are easily sourced online or at Asian grocery markets.  We suggest our Sicilian chile flakes for their Wonderful flavor but you can substitute other pepperoncini flakes if you have them on hand.

INSTRUCTIONS

Set a wok over medium-low heat and add ¼ cup oil and Sichuan
pepper berries. Cook, stirring, until the pepper is fragrant, 1–2 minutes. Add the chopped mushrooms all at once and toss to coat with oil. Increase the heat to medium-high and sprinkle in the salt. Continue to cook and stir, allowing the mushrooms to release their liquid and begin to caramelize. When they have darkened in color and are turning a golden brown, transfer them to a bowl.

Wipe out the wok, set it back onto the burner, and add the remaining 3 tablespoons of oil and the bean paste to the wok; cook for 1 minute.

Add the fermented black beans, toss to coat them with oil, then add the ginger, garlic, orange zest, and chile flakes and cook gently until they’re fragrant (don’t overcook, you just want to release their flavors).

Carefully add the tofu cubes to the aromatics in the wok and gently fold them in. Add the cooked mushrooms and the stock, stir to combine.

Bring to a gentle boil and stir in the cornstarch slurry. Add the chopped
scallions and continue to simmer until the sauce clings to the tofu, about 4–5 minutes.

Serve over white rice. 

*Soft or silken tofu can sometimes be hard to find at the grocery. It’s OK to substitute firm tofu but prepare it as follows: Drain the tofu and cut it into cubes. Put about 2 cups very hot water into a bowl and add ½ teaspoon of salt. Add the tofu cubes and let stand for 10–15 minutes. When ready to cook the tofu, use a slotted spoon to transfer it to the wok.