Name: Chicken with Black Bean Sauce on Crispy Noodles
Ingredients: 450 gram / 1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts; 2 Tbsp Chinese rice wine or dry sherry; 2 Tbsp light soy sauce; 1 Tbsp groundnut oil; 1 heaped Tbsp finely chopped fresh root ginger; 1 generous Tbsp finely chopped garlic; 1 small red pepper, seeded and cut into long, thin slices; 2 spring onions, cut into long diagonal slices; 3 Tbsp black bean sauce; 6 Tbsp chicken stock or water; oil, for deep frying; 200 gram / 8 oz rice vermicelli noodles

Chicken with Black Bean Sauce on Crispy Noodles

Ingredients

450 grams / 1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts
2 Tbsp Chinese rice wine or dry sherry
2 Tbsp light soy sauce
1 Tbsp groundnut oil
1 heaped Tbsp finely chopped fresh root ginger
1 generous Tbsp finely chopped garlic
1 small red pepper, seeded and cut into long, thin slices
2 spring onions, cut into long diagonal slices
3 Tbsp black bean sauce
6 Tbsp chicken stock or water
oil, for deep frying
200 grams / 8 oz rice vermicelli noodles

Instructions

Cut the chicken into 5 cm / 2 in chunks and put in a bowl or shallow dish. Pour in the rice wine or sherry and soy sauce, stir to mix. Marinate for 30 minutes. Heat a large wok. Add the tablespoon of oil and when it is hot, add the ginger, garlic and red pepper. Stir fry for about 1 minute, then add the marinated chicken and stir fry over a very high heat for 4 - 5 minutes until brown. Add the spring onions, stir, then add the bean sauce and chicken stock or water. Simmer for about 1 minute to finish cooking the chicken. Keep warm. Meanwhile, cook the noodles: heat the oil in a wok or deep frying pan. Add a quarter of the noodles (no more as they expand quite a lot) and fry for about 30 seconds, until puffed and very pale golden. Lift out with a slotted spoon or spoon strainer and drain on kitchen paper, then repeat with the remaining noodles. To serve, arrange the chicken on a bed of crispy noodles with the black bean sauce drizzled over. Serves 6