Neil Perry's black pepper chilli beef and asparagus stir-fry

Name: Neil Perry's black pepper chilli beef and asparagus stir-fry
Cook time: 30 min
Yield: 4 as a shared meal
Cuisine: Chinese
Ingredients: 1 tsp potato flour; 1 tbsp shao hsing rice wine; 3 tsp soy sauce; 250g beef fillet, thinly sliced; 60ml fresh chicken stock; 1 tsp oyster sauce; 1 tbsp cornflour, dissolved in 1 tbsp water; 3 tbsp vegetable oil; 6 spears asparagus, cut ½-cm off stalks and sliced into 4cm lengths; ½ small red onion, sliced; 1 long fresh red chilli, sliced; 1 long fresh green chilli, sliced; 2 garlic cloves, chopped; 1 tsp black peppercorns, toasted and crushed; 1 large handful coriander sprigs

Neil Perry

October 5, 2020

Time:< 30 minsServes:4 as a shared meal

Asparagus season is in full swing, so make it a main player with dishes like asparagus salad and asparagus vinaigrette, or just cook it and dip it into hollandaise. It's really important to buy good quality local produce – not the imported variety – and support our farmers.

Ingredients

1 tsp potato flour
1 tbsp shao hsing rice wine
3 tsp soy sauce
250g beef fillet, thinly sliced
60ml fresh chicken stock
1 tsp oyster sauce
1 tbsp cornflour, dissolved in 1 tbsp water
3 tbsp vegetable oil
6 spears asparagus, cut ½-cm off stalks and sliced into 4cm lengths
½ small red onion, sliced
1 long fresh red chilli, sliced
1 long fresh green chilli, sliced
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1 tsp black peppercorns, toasted and crushed
1 large handful coriander sprigs

Method

1. Mix the potato flour, shao hsing and 1 teaspoon of the soy sauce in a bowl. Add the beef and toss to coat, then marinate for 20 minutes.
2. Combine the remaining soy sauce with the chicken stock, oyster sauce and cornflour mixture in a bowl and set aside.
3. Heat a wok until smoking, then add half the vegetable oil and stir-fry the beef slices for 2-3 minutes or until browned. Remove the beef from the wok and set aside.
4. Heat the remaining oil in the wok and stir-fry the asparagus, onion, chilli, garlic and black pepper until fragrant.
5. Return the beef to the wok with the soy sauce-stock mixture and stir-fry for a few more minutes. Spoon onto a large platter and sprinkle with the coriander to serve.
Tip: I use asparagus a lot from October until just after Christmas, and it's a perfect addition to a Chinese dish. If you aren't a fan, substitute it with green beans or sliced zucchini. Turn this dish vegetarian by replacing the beef with firm tofu slices and the oyster sauce with hoisin.