3 tb Soy or safflower oil
1/2 c Onion; thinly sliced
3 Scallions; greens minced;
-bottoms cut into strips
1 tb Fresh garlic; minced
1 ts Fresh ginger; grated
1/4 ts Anise; freshly-ground
1 lg Eggplant; cut into thin
-slices lengthwise; then
-strips cut across, (7-8 c)
4 Fresh tofu cakes; cut into
-chunks
1/2 oz Tree ears; soaked in boiling
-water until soft; then
-sliced
1/2 ts Salt
1/4 ts Ground black or Szechwan
-pepper; or more
1/4 ts Cayenne pepper
Szechwan is the spiciest of Chinese cuisines. This is a stir-fry dish,
which means you should have your ingredients prepared and assembled
when your dinner guests arrive, so you can fry and serve immediately.
Your rice should be a little more than half-done when frying begins.
Start about 2 1/2 cups dry rice in 4 1/2 c boiling water about 10-15
minutes before frying.
About some of the exotic ingredoients in this recipe: "tree ears" are
a dried fungus, related to mushrooms. They are sold in little
ounce-packets in Asian food stores. Szechwan pepper is not always
easy to find, but if you find some, prepare it by dry-roasting in a
skillet until it smokes lightly, giving off an incense-like aroma.
Then remove from heat and grind it in a spice grinder or with mortar
and pestle. If you can't get it, black pepper will do.
Heat oil in wok or large, heavy skillet. Add onions, garlic, and salt.
Stir-fry 5 minutes. Add ginger and fry 5 more minutes. Add eggplant
and stir fry over fairly high flame until eggplant begins to wilt
(about 8-10 minutes). Add anise, tofu, tree ears, and pepper.
Mix liquid sauce ingredients with enough water to make 1 cup. Whisk
the tamari-liquid mixture into the corn starch until you have a smooth
substance. Add to the eggplant, mix well, and cover. Lower the heat
and let sit about 5 minutes. Then, uncover, raise heat back to
medium, and stir-fry until the eggplant is very tender. Toss in
scallion bottoms (in strips) just before removing from the heat.
Sprinkle scallion greens on top of each serving.
