Mapo Tofu With Crispy Chinese Sausage

• 1 cup soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon fish sauce
• 2 tablespoons fermented black beans
• 2 tablespoons fermented chile-bean paste
• 2 dried Thai chiles, or 1 teaspoon red-pepper flakes
• 2 tablespoons freshly ground Sichuan peppercorns
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch, dissolved in 1/4 cup water
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1 pound Chinese pork sausage (lap cheong), cut into slices 1/2 inch thick
• 2 packages (about 14 ounces each) firm tofu, drained and cut into 1-inch cubes, at room temperature
• 2 bunches green onions (white and tender green parts only), thinly sliced on the diagonal

1. In a pot, combine the soy sauce and fish sauce with 2 cups of water and bring to a boil over high heat.
2. Add the black beans, chile paste, Thai chiles, and Sichuan peppercorns and return to a boil.
3. Stir in the cornstarch mixture to thicken the sauce, then remove from the heat.
4. In a frying pan, heat the vegetable oil over medium heat.
5. Add the sausage and cook, stirring with a wooden spoon every 30 seconds to prevent burning, until crispy approximately 3 to 5 minutes.
6. Add the sauce to the pan and cook for 1 minute.
7. Add the tofu and stir gently, being careful not to break up the tofu cubes, until coated with the sauce.
8. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and cook for 5 minutes.
9. Serve in individual bowls topped with the green onions.

soy sauce, fish sauce, black beans, chiles, freshly ground sichuan, cornstarch, vegetable oil, sausage, firm tofu, green onions

Taken from www.foodrepublic.com/recipes/mapo-tofu-with-crispy-chinese-sausage-recipe/ (may not work)