Five spice chicken, bacon and bamboo shoot stir fry
- Prepare
- 1-2 hours
- Cook
- 30 mins to 1 hour
- Serve
- Serves 4
Learn how to make Ching’s authentic stir fry using freshly prepared bamboo shoots, or use tinned for an easy version.
Ingredients
For the bamboo shoots
- 700g/1lb 9oz fresh bamboo shoots, outer husks removed, or 1 x tin bamboo shoots, drained
- 1 lime, juice only
For the chicken
- 2 organic, free-range chicken breasts, boneless, skin removed, sliced into 1x3cm/½x1¼in strips
- 1 tbsp Chinese five-spice powder
- 1 tbsp cornflour
- sea salt and ground white pepper
For the spicy smoky bacon
For the stir fry
- 2 tbsp groundnut oil
- 5cm/2in piece fresh root ginger, peeled and finely chopped
- 1 red chilli, seeds removed, sliced into thin shreds
- 1–2 tbsp Shaoxing rice wine or dry sherry
- ½ red onion, sliced
- ½ red pepper, sliced
- 50g/1¾oz red cabbage, sliced
- 50g/1¾oz green cabbage, sliced
- 100g/3½oz beansprouts
- 2 tbsp low sodium light soy sauce
- 1 tbsp oyster sauce
- dash toasted sesame oil
- dash chilli oil
- 1 tbsp cornflour (optional)
- 2 spring onions, sliced into rounds to serve
Method
To make the bamboo shoots, slice the stalk to remove the fresh part of the shoot. Peel away the outer shoots to reveal the inner white shoot. Rinse and soak for 30 minutes in half of the lime juice and some water. Remove.
Place the bamboo shoots in a large saucepan, cover with 1.5 litres/2½ pints of water then bring to the boil. Allow to boil for 20 minutes until it turns more yellow. Remove from the water. Slice and taste the bamboo shoots; if bitter, submerge in 1 litre/1¾ pints of water steeped with more fresh lime juice for another 30 minutes. Remove and slice to julienne ready to use in a stir fry.
To make the chicken, place the chicken strips into a bowl and season with sea salt and ground white pepper. Sprinkle over the Chinese five-spice powder and lightly toss to coat well. Set aside.
To make the spicy smoky bacon, heat a wok over a high heat and add the groundnut oil, then add the bacon and fry until crispy. Remove and set aside. Sprinkle over the shichimi pepper.
To make the stir fry, just before cooking, toss the chicken with the tablespoon of cornflour to coat lightly. Heat a wok over a high heat, add 1 tablespoon of groundnut oil, then add the chicken strips, leaving to settle for a few seconds before you turn to toss. Cook for 4 minutes, stirring constantly.
Push the chicken to one side of the wok, then add the remaining tablespoon of oil. Add the ginger and chillies and toss well. Before the chicken is completely cooked, season with the Shaoxing rice wine or dry sherry.
Tip in the bamboo shoots and mixed vegetables and toss, cooking for 1–2 minutes. Keep stirring for another minute.
Season with the low sodium light soy sauce, oyster sauce, toasted sesame oil and chilli oil. Give it one final toss. If you want a glossy finish, and there are cooking juices in the bottom of the wok, you can mix the cornflour into a slurry with 1 tablespoon of water, then add to thicken the cooking juices, tossing well.
Garnish with the spring onions, then remove from the heat and serve immediately, topped with the bacon pieces.
