Green asparagus from the wok

Ingredients for 4 servings:

• 500 g asparagus, green
• 2 cloves garlic or half a bulb of “mono garlic”
• 3 cm ginger
• 4 spring onions
• 1 tbsp bean paste (chili bean paste), alternatively sambal oelek
• 1 tbsp rice wine, Chinese (Shaoxing)
• 2 tbsp Soy sauce, light Chinese
• 2 tbsp vinegar, red Chinese or red wine vinegar
• 2 tbsp sugar
• 1 tsp cornstarch
• 2 tsp sesame oil
• Oil for frying

Instructions

Working time approx. 20 minutes; Cooking/baking time approx. 20 minutes; Total time approx. 40 minutes

Asparagus Chinese style

Peel and chop the garlic and ginger. Slice the spring onions diagonally into rings. Bend the asparagus at the bottom until the woody end snaps off. Remove the heads and set aside. Cut the stalks diagonally into 3-centimeter-thick slices. Heat the oil in a wok until very hot, stir-fry the spring onions, garlic, and ginger for a few seconds until fragrant. Add the asparagus pieces, fry briefly, and add a splash of water. Cover and simmer over moderate heat for five minutes. Remove the lid, increase the heat again, add the asparagus heads, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the liquid has evaporated and the asparagus is almost tender. Add the bean paste, stir, and deglaze with rice wine. Add the vinegar and sugar. Mix the starch with a little cold water and add it. Stir again until the sauce thickens. Add the sesame oil. Season to taste. The sauce should be sweet and sour with a subtle spiciness. This isn’t a “real” Chinese recipe, but the seasoning and technique are authentic. Served with rice, it makes a main course for two or a side dish for four. Note: “Mono garlic” is this variant, which is usually sold in small baskets. The garlic consists not of individual cloves, but of a round, firm bulb. It has a milder flavor and is said to be less odorous. “Chili bean paste” is a specialty from the Szechuan region. Beans are pounded with chilies and salt and—depending on the quality—must ferment in clay jars for three to seven years. The paste is available in Asian supermarkets (often with additives, unfortunately). Sambal oelek is an acceptable substitute in exceptional cases, but it doesn’t deliver the full flavor.