This otherwise simple salad, adapted from a dish at Szechuan Gourmet in Manhattan, may require a trip to a Chinese market for Szechuan peppercorns and pressed tofu. And you’ll need to make your own chili oil! But here’s the thing. The effort, which really isn’t much more than difficult shopping, produces an elegant dish that is worth whatever shoe leather or mileage you’ll expend getting the ingredients together. It is astonishingly good. And we’ll even allow one substitution. You can use regular celery instead of the Chinese version!

Ingredients

  • 1 cup peanut oil
  • 1 piece ginger, 2 inches long, cut into 3 or 4 slices
  • 1 piece cinnamon, 3 inches long
  • 3 cloves
  • 1 teaspoon coriander seeds
  • 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
  • 4 star anise
  • 1 tablespoon Sichuan peppercorns
  • ¼ cup red chili flakes, or more to taste
  • Salt
  • 1 bunch Chinese celery, thinly sliced
  • 4 to 6 ounces pressed tofu, thinly sliced or julienned
  • Nutritional Information
    • Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)

      544 calories; 57 grams fat; 9 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 25 grams monounsaturated fat; 18 grams polyunsaturated fat; 8 grams carbohydrates; 3 grams dietary fiber; 1 gram sugars; 4 grams protein; 40 milligrams sodium

    • Note: Nutrient information is not available for all ingredients. Amount is based on available data.

4 servings

Preparation

  1. Heat oil in a small saucepan over medium-high heat; when it simmers, add ginger, cinnamon, cloves, coriander, cumin, star anise, Sichuan peppercorns and chili flakes. Remove from heat and let sit until cool, at least 1 hour and preferably 2 or 3. Strain oil into a bowl or jar and discard spices.
  2. Put a pot of salted water over high heat and bring to a boil. Add celery and blanch for about a minute; drain in colander and run under cold water to stop the cooking process.
  3. Layer celery and tofu on serving plates, drizzle with chili oil and sprinkle with salt.

20 minutes

Dining and Cooking