Stir-fried beef with dried chillies, capsicum and chilli bean paste

SERVES 4

This Sichuan-inspired dish has great depth of flavour. Adjust the spiciness to suit your palate. I use medium-heat dried bullet head chillies, but any dried chillies will work.

300 gm beef fillet, cut into paper-thin slices

60 ml (1/4 cup) vegetable oil 10 gm (2cm) ginger, thinly

sliced

1 large garlic clove, finely

chopped

2 spring onions, cut into

5cm lengths

1 red capsicum, cut into

small dice

6-12 dried red chillies, cut with scissors into 2cm pieces, seeds removed

2 tsp doubanjiang (see note) 60 ml (1/4 cup) chicken stock Steamed baby bok choy and steamed rice (optional), to serve

MARINADE

1 tbsp Shaoxing wine

1 tbsp light soy sauce

½ tsp dark soy sauce

1 tsp cornflour

1 For marinade, mix ingredients in a bowl to combine. Add beef, toss to coat, and leave for 20 minutes to marinate.

2 Heat 2 tbsp oil in a wok or frying pan over high heat. Add beef in batches and stir-fry until partially cooked (30 seconds). Remove beef from pan, separating the pieces to stop it cooking.

3 Wipe out wok with paper towels and return to medium heat. When hot, add remaining oil. Heat briefly, then add ginger, garlic and spring onion and stir-fry until softened and fragrant (2-3 minutes). Add capsicum and dried chilli and stir-fry until capsicum has softened slightly (1 minute; dried chillies burn easily so be careful). Return beef to wok with doubanjiang and stock, increase heat to high and stir until beef is cooked and sauce is reduced (1-2 minutes). Serve with steamed bok choy and rice.

Note Doubanjiang, a hot chilli broad bean paste, is available from select Asian grocers.