How to cook with lettuce — a Fuchsia Dunlop recipe

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Cooking salad, really? Such was my reaction when I first encountered Chinese dishes that involved cooked lettuce or cucumber. These days, I readily use both in stir-fries and soups. Leaves of a crisp variety of lettuce, such as little gem, cos or romaine, blanched briefly and then refreshed in cold water, make a bright, perky garnish for a noodle soup. Stir-frying lettuce leaves with nothing but a little oil and salt to a point between crunch and wilt brings out their delicately nutty flavour.

Most of all, I love to give them a quick turn in the wok with fermented tofu (doufu ru, 豆腐乳), a Chinese ingredient that deserves to be much better known. This punchy condiment is made by encouraging cubes of tofu to grow a coat of fluffy white mould, and then curing them in salt, liquor and spices. The fermentation produces a relish that is salty, creamy and umami-delicious, its cheesy intensity reminiscent of Roquefort. In China, it’s usually eaten straight from the jar, sparingly, with plain rice, congee or steamed buns. It can also be used in sauces and marinades. I often add a little to a potful of simmering pork ribs or belly to enrich the sauce.

You’ll see jars of fermented tofu cubes on the shelves in most Chinese supermarkets. If you’re unsure, take a photo of the Chinese characters above and show them to a shop assistant. There are many different types. For this recipe, I use the plain white cubes of tofu in brine, with or without morsels of floating red chilli. An opened jar keeps for ages in the fridge.

Stir-fried lettuce with chilli and fermented tofu

Furu shengcai (腐乳生菜)

Serves 2-4 with rice and other Chinese dishes

1. Trim off and discard the stalky end of the lettuce and any wilted or discoloured leaves. Separate the rest of the leaves and quarter the innermost heart lengthways. Rinse and shake dry. With larger lettuces, cut the leaves in half crossways to give chopstickable pieces.

2. Trim off the stem of the chilli, discard the seeds as far as possible and cut into fine slivers or slices.

3. Place the tofu cubes into a small bowl with 1 tbs water, the sugar and the salt, and mash to a smooth, creamy paste.

4. Swirl the cooking oil around a seasoned wok over a high flame. Add the garlic and stir very briefly to sizzle without colouring. Quickly add the lettuce and chilli slivers and stir-fry briskly for a few minutes, until the leaves are piping hot but still crisp in the centre. Scrape in the creamy tofu and stir rapidly to coat the lettuce. (For a restaurant-like finish, give the starch mixture a stir, pour into the centre of the wok and stir quickly as the juices thicken.) Serve immediately with rice and other dishes.

Fuchsia Dunlop is a cook and the author of “The Food of Sichuan”

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