Chicken and Asparagus in Black Bean Sauce
This stir fry combines tender chicken breast and crunchy asparagus in a delicious sauce that is created right in the wok. Browning all of the ingredients is essential to add hearty richness to this dish.
2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into 2″ pieces
1 lb fresh asparagus, trimmed, cut into 2″ pieces
1/2 yellow onion, sliced
3 cloves garlic, coarsly chopped
2 coins fresh ginger
1 tsp dry, salted black beans, rinsed briefly, then mashed
1/2 cup fresh mushrooms, sliced
3 tbl dark soy sauce, divided
1 tbl light soy sauce
1 tbl oyster sauce
1 cup chicken broth
1 tbl cornstarch, dissolved in 2 tbl chicken broth
Coarse salt
White pepper
Black pepper
Vegetable oil
Place chicken in non-reactive bowl and season to taste with salt, white pepper and 1 tbl dark soy sauce. Stir to coat evenly and set aside. Heat wok or large pot over high heat. Add about 2 tbl vegetable oil and heat to just smoking. Add chicken and cook, turning only after first side browns. Toss to brown evenly, about 3 minutes. Push chicken to the sides of wok and add black bean paste, ginger, garlic and onion. Sprinkle with a little salt, pepper and brown sugar. Brown well, adding more oil if necessary. Add mushrooms and combine with chicken. Add asparagus, remaining soy sauces and oyster sauce. Stir to combine. Add chicken stock and bring to a boil. Add cornstarch slurry and stir until slightly thickened. Check sauce for seasonings and serve at once.
