Garlic chives are one of the earliest things to come up in an Iowa spring, and they are an essential ingredient in mapo tofu, a famous dish in China. “Mapo” means something like “pock-marked woman”–a reference to the mottled look of tofu cooked in a sauce, as I understand it. I first had it with my good friends Andrew and Ming Hsieh (who also got me started growing garlic chives), and have also had it in China. I make it as more of a soup, and have tried a number of variations. The recipe below gives the basic recipe, with some options depending on available ingredients.
The Recipe:
shallots, diced
4-5 cloves garlic, minced
2 inches ginger, minced
3 bird chiles, minced
one bunch garlic chives, chopped
heaping tablespoon black bean-garlic-chili paste*
preserved vegetables
ground pork (optional for vegetarian version)
1/4 cup dry white wine
large quart of chicken stock (preferably Asian recipe)
salt, szechuan pepper
One container firm tofu
variations:
pok choy (baby bok choy)
green onions
chinese noodle
sesame oil
Method:
1. In wok or equivalent, saute the shallots, garlic, ginger, and chiles in hot oil on fairly high heat until translucent, 3-4 minutes. Add black bean paste, cook and stir fry 1 minute.
2. Add pork, minced preserved vegetables (optional; available in Chinese markets). Saute until done, and splash with white wine.
3. Add chicken stock, bring to slow boil.
4. Meanwhile, place brick of tofu in burner-proof ceramic pot, cut in cubes. Pour soup over, and add chopped garlic chives. Simmer at low heat for 10-15 minutes. Serve with fresh chopped chives, over rice in Chinese bowl.
*available at Asian markets.
Variations:
1. add whole or chopped leaves of pok choy
2. add (or substitute for chives) green onions (I do this in the winter when there are no chives to be had).
3. add noodles, a few drops of sesame oil, and some sriracha.
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