Mapo Tofu for a dinner party — went down extremely well

I made Mapo Tofu for eight guests who had varying familiarity with the cuisine. Every single person asked for the recipe. The deeply savoury and sweet profile was the main talking point — no one had quite experienced fermented black bean used that way before.

Chinese cuisine encompasses eight major regional schools with distinct ingredients and techniques. I explained the a bustling dim sum hall context as I served it which helped people appreciate it fully. Tsingtao beer was what I offered alongside and it worked perfectly. Excellent dinner party dish — impressive without being inaccessible.