Mala Garlic Bread

The first bite of this mala garlic bread is all familiar comfort: warm, buttery, and garlicky. Then a gentle chili kick shows up, paired with the mild electric tingle of Sichuan pepper, as if this classic took a trip to Sichuan province to learn the secret of mala's appeal.

Mala is the Sichuan combination of numbing (from Sichuan pepper) and spicy (from chili). While the pairing has been a hallmark of Sichuan cuisine for centuries, it's been blowing up across Japan, as well as in my kitchen. From my mala Chinese nuts to firecracker chicken, I've been working this addictive combo into a lot of recipes. This time, I folded it into compound butter, which opens up a bunch of new ways to use it, and this Mala Garlic Bread has become a new favorite in our household.

Making the compound butter is as simple as mixing a few seasonings into softened butter, but there are a couple of tricks to keep in mind. I like using cheap grocery-store "French bread" over a proper baguette or batard. The light, airy kind crisps into something closer to toast, which I like better for garlic bread.

I've kept the amount of doubanjiang and Sichuan pepper moderate to make this family-friendly, but you're in charge of the dial. Taste the butter before you spread it, then tune it: cayenne or chili flakes for more spice, extra Sichuan pepper for more of that tingly buzz.

The shiitake mushroom powder is optional, but it's what gives the butter a deep savoriness, almost like sprinkling on some natural MSG.

This mala butter is also fantastic melted over roasted potatoes, emulsified into a bowl of pasta with a spoonful of boiling water, or used to wake up a stir-fry. As for how to serve it, this garlic bread accompanied a bowl of Sichuan-style spaghetti and meat sauce (recipe coming next week), but it works alongside a wide range of grilled or stir-fried meats and seafood.