The phrase ‘fusion’ is often greeted with suspicion, which I locate oddly. In recent times, thoughts travel around the sector within the time it takes to refresh a cellular telephone display screen, domestic chefs appear flawlessly glad to combine and suit. Personally, I think it’s a super component due to the fact, so long as it is completed considerately, the resulting go-cultural hybrids maybe each eye-starting and delicious. After all, some of the kitchen classics we now idolize would in no way have come into being if someone someplace hadn’t thrown warning to the wind and performed with a bit of fusion.
‘Caponata’ with silken tofu 
Here, caponata (a sweet-and-sour Sicilian aubergine dish) meets map tofu (a spicy and aromatic Sichuan tofu dish) in a union so incorrect, it’s right. Make two times the quantity of caponata, if you want, as it will hold for per week in the refrigerator and simplest receives better with time.
Prep 35 min
Cook 45 min
Marinate 2 hr
Serves 6 as a starter
2 medium aubergines, trimmed and reduce into 1½cm cubes
120ml sunflower oil
Salt, plus flaked sea salt, to complete
1 small celery stick, finely chopped into ½cm cubes
20g pine nuts, very well toasted
80g ripe cherry tomatoes, more or less chopped
20g piece sparkling ginger, peeled and finely julienned
5-6 spring onions, trimmed and finely sliced
4 tsp blended black and white sesame seeds, toasted
40g raisins
60ml soy sauce
100ml Shaoxing rice wine (or light dry sherry)
3½ tbsp rice vinegar
2½ tbsp maple syrup
3 massive slight pink chilies, 2 left entire, 1 deseeded and finely sliced, to serve
600g silken tofu, tired and reduce into 6cm x 1½cm rectangles
1 tbsp coriander leaves, finely chopped
Heat the oven to 230C (210C fan)/450F/fuel 8. Toss the aubergines in 75ml of the oil and a 3rd of a teaspoon of salt and unfold out on a massive, 40cm x 30cm baking tray lined with greaseproof paper. Roast for 15 mins, then stir within the celery and roast for 12-15 mins extra, until the aubergine is golden brown. Leave to cool, then switch to a large bowl with the pine nuts, tomatoes, and 3-quarters each of the ginger, spring onions, and sesame seeds.
Meanwhile, positioned the raisins, soy sauce, Shaoxing wine, vinegar, and maple syrup in a small saucepan on a medium-high warmness, cook dinner until effervescent, then set aside to soak for a minimum of 10 mins. Put the entire chilies in a boiling, dry pan on an excessive warmth and prepare dinner for about 9 minutes, turning some instances, until nicely charred all over. Leave to chill barely, then roughly chop, remove the pith and seeds if you prefer much less warmness. Add to the aubergine bowl, along with the soaked raisin combination.
Heat the ultimate 3 tablespoons of oil in a small saucepan on a medium-excessive warmness until effervescent, then pour this over the aubergine combination. Add a tablespoon of water, lightly mix the whole lot and leave to marinate for at least two hours or overnight.
Divide the silken tofu slices among six shallow bowls and sprinkle generously with flaked sea salt. Spoon the caponata next to the tofu, and drizzle approximately a tablespoon of its liquid over the complete dish. Top with the final ginger, spring onions, sesame seeds, sliced chili, and coriander, and serve at room temperature.
Cabbage with ginger cream and chili oil
The not going aggregate of cream cheese and chili oil, which has a numbing effect due to Szechuan pepper’s addition, works wonderfully right here. This dish doesn’t take a seat too well, although, so get dressed the cabbage most effective simply before serving. These portions will make extra oil than you need. However, it maintains within the fridge for up to 2 weeks – it’s lovable with any meat, fish, or tofu, or drizzled over rice or noodles.
Prep 15 min
Cook 35 min
Infuse 1 hr
Serves 4 as a facet
50g ginger, peeled and finely grated
220g cream cheese
¼ garlic clove, crushed
1 tbsp lime juice
Salt
1 pointed cabbage, ends trimmed, halved lengthways, and leaves separated
1½ tbsp soy sauce
For the oil
150ml sunflower oil
1 banana shallot, peeled and finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped
1cm piece ginger, peeled and finely grated
½ fresh red chili, finely chopped
1 complete star anise
1 tbsp crimson bell pepper flakes
1 tsp chili flakes
1½ tsp Szechuan peppercorns, more or less beaten
¼ tsp salt
1½ tsp tomato paste
1 tsp each black and white sesame seeds
Heat tablespoons of the sunflower oil in a small saucepan on a medium-high warm. Add the subsequent nine substances (which include the salt), flip down the heat to medium, and fry gently for five minutes, stirring regularly until the shallot is gentle. Add the tomato paste and both forms of sesame seeds, cook dinner for any other two minutes, then stir within the closing 120ml oil. Reduce the warmth to low and simmer very gently for 20 minutes. If the oil begins to bubble at all, take it off the warmth for a minute, then depart to chill and infuse for at least an hour.
Meanwhile, make the cabbage. Press the ginger through a quality-mesh sieve right into a medium bowl to get tablespoons of ginger juice; discard the pulp. Add the cream cheese, garlic, lime juice, a terrific pinch of salt, and whisk easy. Bring a massive pot of properly-salted water to a boil. Blanch the cabbage leaves for two mins, till cooked, then drain, pat dry with kitchen towel the leaves shouldn’t be wet, and depart to chill.
Combine the soy sauce with three tablespoons of numbing oil and a tablespoon of the cooking spices. Spread the cream cheese directly to a platter, pile the cabbage leaves on a pinnacle, then drizzle the oil and soy mixture over and serve at once.
