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1
Marinating: With sharp paring knife, scrape chicken meat from thigh; slice into thin strips across the grain.
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2
(Breast meat is not preferred for this dish, as meat is too dry and spongy.)
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3
Combine sherry, soy, cornstarch and sugar in bowl; massage liquid into meat with your fingers.
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4
Marinate for 15 to 30 minutes.
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5
Preparation: Wash asparagus; peel tough white outer skin off ends; slice on diagonal in 2 1/2 inch sections.
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6
Rinse fermented black beans.
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7
In bowl, combine and mash black beans and garlic, brown sugar, black soy sauce and chicken stock; stir; reserve for 15 minutes.
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8
Stir-Frying: Add 23 of oil to hot wok; when oil is very hot, add chicken.
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9
Stir-fry for about 3 minutes on high heat - or until chicken begins to shrink and firm up.
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10
Remove chicken to holding bowl.
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11
Reheat wok to high, add remaining oil.
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12
When oil is hot, add black bean sauce.
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13
Stir-fry for 1 minute.
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14
Add asparagus; mix with sauce.
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15
Stir sauce with asparagus.
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16
When sauce boils, add cooked chicken; toss to combine.
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17
Dribble in a little cornstarch paste if needed; cornstarch in chicken marinade might be enough.
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18
Toss ingredients until very little liquid remains and is reduced to glaze.
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19
Dish is ready when asparagus brightens.
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20
If you still have too much liquid, remove ingredients, continue to reduce sauce, then return ingredients to coat them with sauce.
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21
Serve in individual portions.
