Ever since having Mapo Tofu a few months ago, I’ve been on a kick. It’s something I had eaten at restaurants, but had never made at home. After eating this a few times, I was thinking how good this would be on wings. I’m pretty sure I saw that on a menu somewhere. I adapted the recipe, making it thinner than the original version, and omitting the ground pork that I add when making my tofu. This is probably not an authentic recipe, and it’s not completely original either. I’ve cobbled it together from a bunch of different recipes, drawing heavily from the one on Serious Eats. Chili oil was left out, due to using Chili Black Bean Sauce instead of the more traditional fermented black beans (dou chi). I wanted to make a version that could done with items readily available at my local Asian grocery stores. I have included the brands that I used because there may be some variation from one to another. As always, feedback is welcome.
MAPO WING SAUCE
· 2 tablespoons Sichuan peppercorns, divided
· ¼ cup vegetable oil
· 1 teaspoon cornstarch
· 2 teaspoons cold water
· 3 garlic cloves grated on a microplane grater
· 1 tablespoon fresh ginger grated on a microplane grater
· 2 tablespoons fermented chili bean paste (Toban Djan)- Lee Kum Kee brand
· 1 tablespoon chili black bean sauce- Lee Kum Kee brand
· 2 tablespoons shao hsing rice wine- Emperor brand
· ½ cup water
· 1 tablespoon superior dark soy sauce- Pearl River Bridge brand
· ¼ cup finely sliced scallion greens
Heat half of sichuan peppercorns in a large pan over high heat until lightly smoking. Transfer to a mortar and pestle. Finely grind and set aside.
Add remaining sichuan peppercorns and vegetable oil to wok. Heat over medium high heat until lightly sizzling, about 1 1/2 minutes. Strain out peppercorns and return oil to the pan.
Combine corn starch and cold water in a small bowl and mix.
Heat oil in a pan over high heat until smoking. Add garlic and ginger and cook until fragrant (20 seconds). Add chili bean paste, fermented beans, wine, soy sauce and water, and bring to a boil. Pour in corn starch mixture and cook for 30 seconds until thickened. Stir in half of scallions and remaining Sichuan peppercorns, and simmer for 30 seconds longer. Toss cooked protein with sauce in a large bowl. Transfer immediately to a serving plates or bowls and garnish with remaining scallions.
