作法
- 豆腐丁放入鹽水中微滾煮兩分鐘使其結實——能裹住醬汁不破裂。輕輕瀝乾。
- 在炒鍋中以中大火加熱油。下牛絞肉撥散煎至邊緣酥脆、油脂釋出——約三分鐘。
- 轉中火。把肉推到鍋邊，將豆瓣醬下油中炒一分鐘至油轉深紅、醬料散發烘烤香。加入豆豉、大蒜、薑與辣椒粉；再炒三十秒。
- 倒入高湯拌勻。把豆腐丁滑入鍋中，輕搖鍋讓豆腐定位。慢煮四分鐘，用湯匙輕輕澆淋——絕不大力翻動，否則豆腐會碎。
- 把太白粉水攪勻邊搖鍋邊倒入。醬汁會收緊成光亮紅釉。視需要再加一次；應裹住湯匙背面，不應稀流。
- 離火，撒上一半花椒粉與蔥綠。剩餘花椒粉於上桌前撒於頂部——上桌的麻味才是「麻」的精髓。配飯享用。
Common questions
Can 麻婆豆腐 be made ahead?
麻婆豆腐 is best made and eaten the same day, but the components can be prepped earlier — chop and measure the ingredients up to a day ahead, refrigerated separately. Final cooking takes about 15 minutes.
How spicy is 麻婆豆腐?
As written this recipe is medium-to-hot. Heat levels vary by cook and region in China; halve the chili or remove the seeds for less heat, or add more at the finishing stage. The spice can be adjusted during cooking.
Is 麻婆豆腐 vegetarian or gluten-free?
This recipe is suitable for most diets. If you have specific restrictions, the substitutions section in each ingredient note covers the most common swaps.
How hard is 麻婆豆腐 to make at home?
麻婆豆腐 sits at intermediate difficulty — total time about 25 minutes. The ingredients are not unusual but the timing requires attention.
Can 麻婆豆腐 be scaled up or down?
This recipe is written for 4 servings. To scale, multiply each ingredient proportionally; the cooking times stay the same up to about double the volume. Beyond that, expect to cook in batches because of pan size and heat distribution.
文化背景
麻婆豆腐於1860年代成都由一位臉上有麻點的餐館老闆娘創製——「麻婆」即「臉上有麻點的婆婆」。此菜的招牌雙絕是「麻」（花椒帶來的麻感）與「辣」（豆瓣醬帶來的辣感）。四川廚師以油色判斷麻婆豆腐：豆腐周圍積聚的磚紅油是其招牌，淡色或稀薄醬汁代表豆瓣醬炒得不夠。花椒分量是爭議點——成都本地人放的份量遠超觀光客預期。
