Stir-Fried Black Bean Chicken

• 1 onion
• 1 green or red pepper
• a thumb-size piece of ginger
• 1 spring onion
• 3 garlic cloves
• 1 tablespoon preserved salted black beans, rinsed and drained in cold water
• a pinch of salt
• 400g chicken thigh, diced
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• a dash of sesame oil

The Marinade

• ½ tablespoon sesame oil
• 2 teaspoons granulated sugar
• ½ teaspoon Chinese five-spice
• 2 tablespoons light soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons Shaoxing rice wine
• 1½ tablespoons cornflour

1. Finely slice the onion, pepper, ginger and spring onion. Finely chop the garlic and place it in a small bowl or ramekin with the preserved black beans and salt, lightly crushing the beans and garlic together with the back of a spoon to release their flavours.

2. Finely slice the chicken, place it in a mixing bowl and add all the marinade ingredients except the cornflour. Using your hands, massage the ingredients into the meat until it is well coated, then add the cornflour and repeat until everything is well combined.

3. Mix the sauce ingredients together in a bowl.

BUILD YOUR WOK CLOCK: place your sliced onion at 12 o’clock, then arrange the peppers, ginger, garlic, and black bean mixture, chicken bowl, sauce bowl, and spring onion clockwise around your plate.

4. Heat 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil in a wok over high heat until smoking-hot. Add the onion and peppers, reduce the heat to medium, and stir-fry for 1 minute, or until the onion has slightly softened. Transfer the onions and peppers to a bowl.

5. Add another 1 tablespoon of oil to the wok and return to smoking point. Allow to smoke for 5 seconds (to ensure the wok is hot enough for the chicken to sear well without sticking), then add the ginger, garlic, and black bean mixture and chicken to the wok. Spread the chicken out across the base of the wok in one layer using a wooden spoon or spatula and leave to sear for 30 seconds until browned, then turn and repeat on the other side.

6. Once the chicken has browned on both sides, return the vegetables to the wok and pour over the sauce. Bring to a vigorous boil and stir-fry for 2–3 minutes, until the sauce has thickened and reduced slightly. Stir in the sesame oil, spoon onto a serving plate, and scatter over the spring onion to finish.

SWAPSIES: If you don’t fancy using beer (or any other alcohol) here, the lager can be replaced with any chicken or vegetable stock – even a light, sharp lemonade or soda water would work well.