Beef in green pepper & black bean sauce

This easy stir-fry is a great midweek supper. Just make sure you make enough, as you’ll be going back for seconds and maybe even thirds.

Serves 4 Prep 10 mins Cook 8 mins

1 tbsp groundnut oil

1 white onion, cut into 2cm cubes 1 green bird’s-eye chilli (optional) 1 garlic clove, minced

1 green pepper, cut into 2cm

cubes

1 carrot, thinly sliced

340g beef fillet, sliced into

bite-sized pieces

1 tbsp light soy sauce

2 tbsp Chinese fermented black

beans

½ tsp salt (or to taste)

½ tsp sugar

½ tsp white pepper

4 tbsp chicken or beef stock

½ tbsp dark soy sauce

1 tbsp cornflour mixed with 2 tbsp

water

1 tsp sesame oil

1 Heat the oil in a large wok or deep-sided frying pan on a medium heat. Add the onion, chilli (if using) and garlic and stir-fry for 1 min, or until the onion becomes translucent. Add the pepper and carrot and stir-fry for a further 2 mins. Add the beef pieces and stir-fry for 1 min, then add the light soy sauce, fermented black beans, salt, sugar and pepper and stir-fry for another min.

2 Pour in the stock and dark soy sauce and bring to a boil. Slowly add the cornflour mixture to the pan, stirring as you pour it in, until you have the desired consistency. The sauce should be thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Remove from the heat, stir in the sesame oil and serve straightaway.