Lovely crispy on the outside but fluffy and chewy on the inside tofu covered in a sticky, mouth numbing, Sichuan sauce.

The recipe for the rice here can really be changed up to include whatever your favourite ingredients are. Little florets of broccoli would probably work really well here.

Once word of warning. When you toast the peppercorns and chilli flakes make sure your windows are open. I didn't because I'm an idiot and I had a cough for about a day.

Serves 4

Special Equipment - Wok, Mortar and Pestle, Microplane, Tofu Press

Ingredients:

2 × 280g blocks firm tofu 

3 tbsp soy sauce 

2 tbsp vegetable oil 

8 tbsp cornflour 

bunch of spring onions + another 4 spring onions for the rice

2 × 250g pouches pre-cooked basmati rice 

sesame seeds 

salt and black pepper 

2 garlic cloves, crushed

For the sauce 

125g chestnut mushrooms, quartered

1½ tsp Sichuan peppercorns 

1½ tsp chilli flakes 

1 tbsp vegetable oil 

1 garlic clove 

2cm piece of fresh ginger 

4 tbsp soy sauce 

3 tbsp maple syrup 

2 tbsp rice vinegar 

Preheat the oven to 220°C 

Line a baking tray with parchment and spray with oil

Cut the tofu into 2cm cubes 

Put the soy sauce and 1 tablespoon of the oil in a bowl and mix

Tip the cornflour into a freezer bag and season with salt and pepper

Add the tofu chunks to the soy mixture and toss, then drop into the freezer bag with the cornflour

Seal the freezer bag and shake well to make sure all the pieces are well coated in cornflour

Spread out the tofu on the lined baking tray and bake in the oven for 15 minutes

Chop all but one of the bunch of spring onions into 3cm lengths 

When the tofu has been cooking for 5 minutes, take the tray out of the oven and arrange the spring onions around the tofu and drizzle with 1 tablespoon of the oil 

Return to the oven to cook for the remaining 10 minutes, until the tofu is crisp and the spring onions are softened 

Meanwhile, make the sauce 

Set the frying pan over a high heat 

Tip the peppercorns and chilli flakes into the hot pan and toast for 1 minute, then transfer to a pestle and mortar and crush well

Reduce the heat to medium, add the oil and fry the mushrooms until they begin to soften.

Peel the garlic

Tip the spices back into the pan 

Grate the garlic and ginger directly into the pan 

Add the rest of the sauce ingredients and bubble over a medium heat until glossy 

Prepare the rice:

Cook the rice according to the packet instructions

Heat 1 tbsp of oil in the wok on a medium heat 

Finely slice the extra 4 spring onions and the crushed garlic and fry in the oil for 1 minute

Tip in the cooked rice and the 2 tbsp of soy sauce and mix well

Slice the final spring onion 

Take the tray out of the oven 

Set aside the spring onions and tip the crispy tofu into the sauce pan and stir to coat 

To serve 

Spoon the rice onto plates and top with the crispy tofu and roasted spring onions 

Sprinkle with the sesame seeds and sliced fresh spring onion