Mao Xue Wang (Chongqing Blood Curd Hot Pot Bowl)

Ingredients

• 300g duck blood curd, cut into 2cm slabs
• 200g honeycomb tripe, cut into strips
• 150g luncheon meat, cut into batons
• 150g pork belly, very thinly sliced
• 200g soy bean sprouts
• 15g dried wood ear mushrooms
• 100g dried tofu skin
• 3 tbsp Pixian chilli bean paste, chopped
• 1 tbsp fermented black beans, chopped
• 3 tbsp Sichuan hot pot base, or extra chilli bean paste
• 800ml chicken stock
• 1 tbsp Shaoxing wine
• 1 tsp caster sugar
• 30g ginger, finely chopped
• 6 garlic cloves, sliced
• 120ml rapeseed oil
• 25g dried chillies, snipped in half
• 1 tbsp whole Sichuan pepper
• 3 spring onions, sliced
• 1 small bunch coriander

Before you cook

• Soak the wood ear and tofu skin in cold water for 30 minutes, then drain them and tear or cut them into pieces.
• Rinse the duck blood slabs gently and leave them sitting in cold salted water.
• Slice the pork belly, luncheon meat and tripe and keep them on separate plates.

Steps

1. Bring a pan of water to the boil and slide in the drained duck blood.
2. Poach the blood for 2 minutes at a bare simmer, then lift it out with a slotted spoon.
3. Blanch the tripe in the same water for 90 seconds, then drain it.
4. Heat 3 tablespoons of the rapeseed oil in a wok over medium heat.
5. Fry the ginger, garlic, chilli bean paste and black beans for 3 minutes, until the oil stains red.
6. Stir in the hot pot base and cook for another minute.
7. Pour in the stock and Shaoxing wine, add the sugar, and bring it to the boil.
8. Drop in the bean sprouts and cook them for 1 minute, then lift them into a deep serving bowl.
9. Add the wood ear and tofu skin to the broth for 2 minutes, then lift those onto the sprouts.
10. Slide the pork belly and luncheon meat into the broth and cook for 2 minutes.
11. Add the tripe and duck blood and simmer for a further 3 minutes.
12. Ladle everything into the serving bowl with enough broth to almost cover it.
13. Scatter the dried chillies, whole Sichuan pepper and spring onions over the top.
14. Heat the remaining oil in a small pan until it shimmers and a chilli dropped in sizzles at once.
15. Pour the hot oil straight over the chillies and pepper so the whole bowl crackles.
16. Top with coriander and serve immediately with plenty of steamed rice.