I love simple oriental dishes. Those that you can make with the ingredients that are already in your pantry. An added bonus is if you can pre-prepare some of the items. This recipe ticks all of those boxes. It’s really a yummy middle of the week meal.
CHINESE BEEF WITH OYSTER SAUCE, serves 4
10 ml (2 tsp) cornflour
2.5 ml (1/2 tsp) Chinese five-spice powder
10 ml (2 tsp) sesame oil
10 ml (2 tsp) dry sherry
5ml (1 tsp) sugar
300 g sirloin beef, trimmed & finely sliced
Oil, for deep frying
3cm fresh root ginger, peeled & finely sliced
2 spring onions, sliced
75g green beans or mange tout, ends trimmed
100g oyster or other mushrooms, sliced
45ml (3 tbsp) beef stock
30ml (2 tbsp) oyster sauce
Β 
Combine the cornflour, five-spice powder, oil, sherry & half the sugar in a bowl. Add the beef & toss to coat well. Cover & leave overnight to marinate.
Heat 2-3cm oil in a wok or heavy-based pot & deepfry the beef for a minute. Remove & drain on a paper towel. Carefully pour off the oil, retaining 30 ml (2 tbsp) in the wok. When this is hot, stir fry the ginger & spring onions for a minute. Add the mange tout & mushrooms & stir-fry for another minute. Add stock & remaining sugar & stir-fry for 1 minute before adding cooked beef & oyster sauce. Toss to combine & serve with rice.
Enjoy.
Yolandi β₯
*Recipe slightly adapted from the original published in the Sunday Times Lifestyle section (17 August 2014).