Guiyang Love Tofu

Ingredients

• 600 g firm tofu
• 2 tsp fine salt
• 2 tbsp rapeseed oil
• 4 tbsp light soy sauce
• 2 tbsp black rice vinegar
• 2 tbsp chilli oil
• 1 tbsp ground toasted dried chilli
• 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 15 g ginger, finely chopped
• 4 spring onions, finely sliced
• 20 g coriander, chopped
• 30 g fish mint (zhe'ergen), finely chopped
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1 tsp ground roasted Sichuan pepper
• 2 tbsp roasted peanuts, crushed

Before you cook

• Cut the tofu into rectangles roughly 6 by 4 centimetres and 2 centimetres thick.
• Lay the pieces on a tray lined with a clean tea towel and sprinkle them evenly with the salt.
• Cover the tofu with a second tea towel, weight it with a plate and leave it in a cool place for 4 hours to firm up and dry.
• Mix the soy sauce, vinegar, chilli oil, ground chilli, garlic, ginger, spring onions, coriander, fish mint, sugar and Sichuan pepper into a loose dressing.
• Light a charcoal grill, or set a wire rack over a gas flame on medium heat.

Steps

1. Pat the tofu completely dry and brush every side with the rapeseed oil.
2. Lay the pieces on the hot grill rack, spaced apart.
3. Grill for 5 minutes without touching them, until the underside is dry, taut and marked.
4. Turn each piece and grill the second side for 5 minutes.
5. Keep turning every 2 minutes for a further 6 minutes, until the pieces have swollen and puffed like small pillows.
6. Move the tofu to a board and let it sit for 1 minute so the crust sets.
7. Cut a slit along one long edge of each piece to open a pocket, taking care of the steam.
8. Spoon the sour chilli dressing generously into each pocket.
9. Scatter the crushed peanuts over the top and serve while the tofu is still hot and the skin is crisp.