Chinese Cauliflower Stir Fry (干锅菜花)

2 standard portions

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Ingredients

• 1 small head (18 oz./500g) Chinese cauliflower ((or regular cauliflower))
• 2 tablespoons peanut oil ((or vegetable oil))
• 5 dried chili peppers ((Optional))
• 2 shallots (, sliced (or 1/2 white onion))
• 4 cloves garlic (, minced)
• 1 tablespoon ginger (, minced)
• 2 tablespoons Doubanjiang ((spicy fermented bean paste), or 1 tablespoon for a less spicy and less salty dish (*Footnote 1))
• 1/4 teaspoon ground Sichuan peppercorn
• 1/4 cup vegetable stock ((or water))
• 2 tablespoons Shaoxing wine ((or dry sherry))
• 1 tablespoon light soy sauce ((or soy sauce))
• 1 teaspoon sugar

Method

1. Cut the cauliflower into bite-sized florets. Rinse, drain, and set aside.
2. Mix the sauce ingredients in a small bowl.
3. Heat oil over medium-high heat in a large carbon steel (or non stick skillet) over medium-high heat until hot. Add the dried chili peppers, shallots, garlic, and ginger. Stir a few times to release the fragrance. Add the Doubanjiang and ground Sichuan peppercorns. Cook and stir to roast the doubanjiang, for 1 minute or so, or until the aromatics are evenly coated. If the doubanjiang looks dry and starts to burn, pour in a spoonful of Shaoxing wine (or water) and stir to bring down the pan temperature.
4. Add the cauliflower. Stir and cook for 1 minute.
5. Pour in the sauce. Stir again to mix well. Cover the pan. Let steam until the cauliflower turns tender. It takes 6 to 8 minutes to cook through Chinese cauliflower, and 3 to 4 minutes to cook through regular cauliflower. Check on the cauliflower every 2 to 3 minutes, stirring a few times when you check it. Add a bit of water or veggie broth if the pan gets too dry.
6. Uncover. If there’s still a lot of liquid in the pan, you can turn up the heat, cook and stir a few more times to let the liquid evaporate. Transfer everything to a plate.
7. Serve hot as a side or main dish over steamed rice.