I’ve been making Lobster Mapo Tofu for over thirty years, and I’ve never made it this delicious before – prepare to be absolutely enchanted by the aroma. I recently hosted a dinner party with friends at home, and I want to share my rendition of Lobster Mapo Tofu.
My friends were utterly amazed, saying, “Honestly, I’ve never liked Mapo Tofu this much.”
Inspired by a signature dish at a Black Pearl restaurant, I decided to recreate it at home, purchasing a lobster and doing my best to replicate it from memory. This is the most elaborate version of Mapo Tofu I’ve ever made. 
It turned out incredibly well. The tofu absorbed the lobster’s umami flavor perfectly. The delicate pieces melted in my mouth, and the savory and fragrant flavors, combined with the sauce, glided down my throat.
The lobster meat became the most coveted item on the table, with everyone eagerly reaching for its tender texture, which paired remarkably well with the Mapo Tofu, creating a new and harmonious taste. Once the lobster pieces were almost gone, I added noodles to the remaining sauce to enjoy the rich flavor.
Equally popular at the dinner was the dessert: a simple but beautiful rabbit-shaped milk jelly ( Panna cotta ) . To make it look more ethereal for the photos, I added some dry ice for a “mystical” effect. Do you like it?
Lobster Mapo Tofu
Note: This recipe uses Boston lobster. If using Australian lobster, substitute half of the body meat for the claw meat.
Lobster Preparation:
1、Clean the lobster thoroughly. Insert a chopstick into the tail to release urine.
2、Separate the head from the body. Further separate the head section, remove the gills, and extract the brain.
3、Cut off the legs and claws. Keep all parts.
4、Remove the intestinal tract from the lobster body. Cut off the legs and carefully cut along the edges to extract the whole body meat (about 500g). Reserve the remaining body parts.
5、Place the lobster body meat in ice water with lemon slices for 20 minutes to remove any fishy odor. Remove and slice in half down the middle, then cut into large chunks.
6、Season the lobster meat with 1/6 teaspoon of salt and 5 twists of pepper. Mix well, then add 1 egg white and mix again. Add 1 tablespoon of dry starch and let sit for 30 minutes.
Frying the Lobster:
1、Heat half a pot of cooking oil (canola oil recommended) to 120°C. Add the lobster claws, head, legs, and body shells, frying until completely red (about 5 minutes).
Note: At around 120°C, the oil surface will be still with a few bubbles and slight smoke. Inserting a chopstick should show almost no bubbles around it.
2、Reheat the oil to 120°C. Add the marinated lobster meat and fry until it turns white (about 30 seconds).
3、Remove the shell from the fried lobster claws and cut the claw meat into 1-finger-thick chunks.
Lobster Broth:
1、In a pot, add the fried lobster head, legs, and body. Add 3 sections of scallion, 1/4 of an onion, 5 slices of ginger, 2 tablespoons of cooking wine, and enough water to cover the lobster shells. Bring to a boil, then simmer on low heat for 30 minutes.
Mapo Tofu:
1、Cut 2 boxes of silken tofu into 3cm squares. Bring half a pot of water to a boil. Add 1 tablespoon of salt and the tofu. When the water boils again, simmer for 3 minutes. Drain the tofu and keep warm.
2、Preheat a pan over medium-high heat, add 2 tablespoons of cooking oil, then reduce to low heat. Add 100g of ground beef and stir-fry for about 1 minute. Remove and set aside.
3、Preheat the pan over medium-high heat, add 3 tablespoons of cooking oil. Once hot, add 1 tablespoon of minced garlic and 1 tablespoon of minced ginger and stir-fry until fragrant. Add 2 tablespoons of chopped Pixian doubanjiang and 1 tablespoon of fermented black beans, and stir-fry along with 1 tablespoon of chili powder and 1/4 teaspoon of Sichuan peppercorn powder to create the red oil.
Note: Finely chopping the Pixian doubanjiang and fermented black beans helps release the red oil and aroma.
4、Add the tofu, 1 bowl of lobster broth, half of the cooked ground beef, the lobster brain, and 1 tablespoon of cooking wine. Gently rotate the pan to prevent the tofu from breaking. Add 1/2 tablespoon of light soy sauce, 1/5 teaspoon of white sugar to enhance flavor, and simmer for 3 minutes on a boil.
5、Add the remaining ground beef and the lobster claw meat. Thicken the sauce in three additions using a cornstarch slurry (3 tablespoons of cornstarch + 3 tablespoons of water). Gently rotate the pan while adding the slurry. Place the fried lobster meat on top, drizzle with 1/2 tablespoon of Sichuan peppercorn oil, and sprinkle with 1 tablespoon of minced garlic shoots (or scallions) and 1/4 teaspoon of Sichuan peppercorn powder. Arrange the lobster head and body for presentation.
The moment it is on the table, it will cause a sensation!
