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Stir-Fry Chicken with Asparagus

Source of Recipe

From "Goldy's Kitchen Cookbook" by Diane Mott Davidson


Recipe Introduction

"It was a great day when I discovered the magic of fermented black beans, used here in the form of black bean sauce."

List of Ingredients

â—¦ 1 egg white, from a large egg
â—¦ 1 tablespoon cornstarch
â—¦ 1 tablespoon dry sherry
â—¦ 1 tablespoon soy sauce
â—¦ 1 small onion, halved and thinly sliced
â—¦ 1 clove garlic, crushed through a press
â—¦ 1 ½ pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into ½-inch-thick, bite-size pieces
â—¦ 2 tablespoons peanut, canola, or other vegetable oil
â—¦ 1 pound fresh asparagus, tough ends trimmed, cut on the diagonal into 2-inch pieces
â—¦ ½ cup canned water chestnuts, drained and sliced
â—¦ ½ cup black bean sauce
â—¦ Freshly ground black pepper
â—¦ About 4 cups freshly cooked medium-grain rice


Recipe

In a glass pie plate, thoroughly mix the egg white, cornstarch, sherry, soy sauce, onion, and garlic. Place the chicken pieces in this mixture, cover, and place in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes and up to 1 hour. When you are ready to prepare the dish, remove the chicken from the refrigerator.

In a large skillet or wok, heat the oil over moderately high heat. Add the marinated chicken and stir-fry for several minutes, until it is just done. *Do not overcook the chicken.* Remove the chicken from the pan and set aside.

Reheat the pan over high heat and add ½ cup spring water. Quickly stir up the browned bits from the bottom of the pan, then add the asparagus, water chestnuts, and black bean sauce. Cover the pan and cook over medium heat until the asparagus is bright green but still crunchy, 2 to 5 minutes. Return the chicken to the pan and stir over medium-high heat until the mixture is heated through. Season to taste with pepper. Serve immediately over hot rice.

Makes 4 servings