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
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 ♥
*Recipe slightly adapted from the original published in the Sunday Times Lifestyle section (17 August 2014).