Sichuan

The comfort factor with this dish is off the charts! A savoury, meaty filling meets creamy, cheesy mashed potato for a match made in heaven.

100g (3.5 oz) butter

½ cup coarsely grated cheese

1 egg yolk, whisked

Sichuan meat sauce:

2 tbsp vegetable oil

6 garlic cloves, finely chopped

1 onion, finely chopped

1 tbsp finely chopped ginger

¼ cup douban jiang chilli bean paste *

8 00g (1.7 lb ) lamb mince

2 large tomatoes, finely chopped

2 tbsp soy sauce

2 tsp dark soy sauce

1 cup chicken stock

1 tsp sugar

1 tbsp cornflour (cornstarch) mixed with 2 tbsp water

For the Sichuan meat sauce, heat the vegetable oil in a wok or large frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the garlic, onion and ginger and stir-fry for a couple of minutes. Add the douban jiang chilli bean paste and stir-fry for another couple of minutes. Then add the lamb and stir-fry until almost cooked.
Add the tomatoes, soy sauce, dark soy sauce, chicken stock and sugar. Stir until well combined. Reduce the heat to low and simmer, uncovered, for 20 minutes.
In the meantime, cook the potatoes in boiling salted water for 10-12 minutes or until tender and cooked through. Drain and place in a large bowl with the butter. Season with extra salt. Mash until smooth. Then stir through the cheese.
Preheat oven to 180 C/356 F.
Stir the cornflour mixture through the meat sauce. Simmer for another minute or until thickened slightly.
Spoon the meat sauce into individual cups or ramekins (each 1 cup capacity) or into one large 4-cup capacity casserole dish. Top with the cheesy mashed potato. Brush the potato with the egg yolk.
Bake in the oven for about 10 minutes or until the potato tops are golden.
Notes: – Douban jiang is a spicy fermented chilli bean paste. Find it at your Asian grocery store or search for it online. Alternatively, use Korean gochujang paste for a slightly different but still delicious flavour!