Asparagus Chicken with Black Bean Sauce

Chicken Ingredients

2 cups boned raw chicken
1 Tbsp Cornstarch
1 Tbsp soy sauce
1 Tbsp Chinese salted black beans (see red box)
2 Tbsp Oil
Salt & Taste
4 cups fresh asparagus spears

Gravy Ingredients Ingredients

1 Tbsp cornstarch
1 Tbsp soy sauce
1 tsp sugar
1/2 cup plus 2 Tbsp chicken broth

Directions

Wash through a strainer and mince like paste with 2 large cloves of garlic.
Cut up the chicken into cut up into pieces the size of your thumb, remove skin.
Mix chicken with the cornstarch, soy sauce, black beans, and oil.
Saute and salt asparagus in fry pan with 2 Tbsp oil over high heat for 1 minute.
Cover and steam another 1/2 minute, adding 1 Tbsp water to prevent scorching; remove from pan.
Sear chicken with 2 Tbsp oil over high heat until done - about 5 minutes
Add mixed gravy ingredients and stir until thickened, scraping bottom of pan.
Return asparagus to pan; toss lightly together.

Variations Directions

Subsitute beef for chicken; cauliflower or zucchini for asparagus.

Prep time: 20 minutes
Cook time: 20 minutes
Total time: 30 minutes

Yield: 4 servings

Categories: Heirloom Recipes

Tags: asparagus, chicken, Heirloom Meals Radio

The Story

This recipe is from my friend, Lauren Zivyak, who fondly recalls how her mother learnt this dish in a high school cooking class. It soon became one of Lauren's favorite meals, not only because it was delicious, but because of a certain memory. One time, the fermented beans spilled in the pantry, and the smell wafted through the whole house! When I made this dish, nothing but good aromas were coming from the kitchen...

Recipe by Carole Murko

I was ready and excited to make this recipe when I realized that Chinese beans are only sold at Asian markets! Although you have to special order them (if you are not near an Asian market), they keep forever, and the recipe is delicious! Here are some places you can get them online: http://chinesefood.about.com/od/onlineshopping/tp/buy.htm.