Surprisingly, with a China town and a significant immigrant population, Seattle doesn’t seem to have the Chinese food flavor I frequently crave. I’m not talking about the General Tso’s Chicken or crab ragoon stereotypical American Chinese. Although I suppose they could be lumped in the same group, I’m searching more for spicy Black Bean Chicken, Hot and Sour soup and one of my favorites from Sichuanese cusine, Mapo Tofu. I’ve asked people who have lived here for years, days and even decades where the best Chinese restaurant is and have turned up empty.I have also given serious thought that perhaps the reason my search is thus far fruitless is because there is a shift in Chinese food from the one food fits all 23 provinces to individual styles and regions increasing in presence and restaurants. Oh I hope this is the case! Yet, so far my palate is still left craving some spicy, savory Mapo. So what does any self-respecting home cook do when faced with this dilemma? We make it.
The older I’ve gotten, I started to realize that when I am craving comfort food, its usually Japanese food. Ramen, miso shiro (soup), oyakudon (chicken in the egg) or udon are many of my go-tos. Somewhere along the way, perhaps with the lack of authentic Japanese restaurants in many of the areas I’ve lived (Tucson, AZ, Ann Arbor, MI to name two), American Chinese food has started to fill this same need. I think what it all boils down to, is warm, umami flavors. Umami, as you may know, is often defined as the fifth flavor (after salty, sweet, bitter and sour) and usually as meaty or savory. One of my favorite ways I’ve ever heard it described is a feeling of smoothness (http://www.umamiinfo.com/). Another aspect of umami that I love is how individual it is. Umami of course has universal foods, mushrooms, MSG, parmesan cheese, tomatoes/tomato paste but I find that many people experience it completely different from others. One area I love to find it that I don’t feel is reciprocated in my peers is wine. I love a wine with a backbone of umami any day. While I was pairing this album, I was stuck on the idea of this smoothness but also how we experience music differently, much like umami.
I usually sit down in front of my albums, lovingly glance over their covers and imagine what music would be playing while I was cooking the dish. For this Mapo, I almost new exactly that Secondhand Rapture would pair. It has a smoothness for me, a slight broodiness and ultimately fits the same sort of craving I’m seeking with Mapo. I really crave MS MR sounds in surprising occasions and situations. I walked to work the day after making this, a mason jar of mapo tofu in my bag for lunch and Secondhand Rapture playing in my ears. The fog was thick and heady over Seattle and the dark wave (one of the genre’s that MS MR is classified as. Another factor of them I love) washed over me as I walked to start my Monday. It turned out to be a fantastic day especially with spicy mapo tofu surprising my tastebuds at lunch. It crafted a perfect smoothness to start the week.
Turkey Mapo Tofu
Serves a lot. Depends on how much you like it. At least 5-6.
Ingredients
- 6 Japanese eggplant, halved lengthwise
- 1 lb of ground turkey
- 2 tablespoons of dried chili oil (with chilies)
- 2 tablespoons of rice wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon of miso paste
- 3 tablespoons of soy sauce, divided
- 1 tablespoon of cornstarch
- 1/4 cup of diced green onions, separated
- 1 Tablespoon of Aleppo pepper
- 2 Tablespoons of canola oil, divided
- 3 garlic cloves, fine diced
- 1 tablespoon of ginger, diced (from a piece about the size of your thumb)
- 24 ounces of firm silken tofu (yes, the shelf stable stuff), diced into 1 inch squares
- 2/3 cup of chicken broth
- 1/3 cup of Xiaoxing wine
Instructions
- Preheat the broiler. Brush the eggplant halves with 1 tablespoon of the canola oil. Broil for 15 minutes, turning halfway until the eggplant are soft and golden brown. Slice into bite sized pieces. Set aside.
- Mix the next 6 ingredients ingredients together in a bowl. Add 1 tablespoon of the soy sauce, the corn starch and half of the green onions and mix. Set aside (in the fridge) for at least 60 minutes and up to 8 hours.
- Heat the oil in a wok and add the Aleppo pepper. Once you can smell the Aleppo, add the garlic, ginger and rest of the green onions and saute until the whole house is filled with this delicious smell. Add the meat mixture and cook until browned.
- Meanwhile, in a second bowl, add the chicken broth, the Xiaoxing wine and remaining soy sauce together. Add this to the wok. Add the diced tofu, stirring gently and bring to a boil.
- Serve over the broiled eggplant. Feel free to add brown rice as needed.
Notes
I really wanted to make sure this recipe could be made with simple ingredients that didn’t require a trip to multiple markets and Asian grocery stores. The Aleppo (which is what I had on hand) could easily be switched out with red pepper flakes. Many Mapo Tofu recipes call for a fermented black bean paste, so I substituted Miso paste for this. Sambal Olek could be used instead of the roasted chili bean oil or even sriracha (although this may change the flavor the most). Overall this dish, even with changes or substitutions is savory, umami and spicy throughout. Enjoy!