STIR-FRIED SEA SCALLOPS & BEANS WITH OYSTER SAUCE

SERVES 4, OR 8 AS PART OF A SHARED ASIAN BANQUET

The scallops can, of course, be replaced with most types of seafood. You can also add whatever vegetables you like. If using prawns or firm white fish, you can remove the oyster sauce and replace it with hot bean paste.

80 ml (2½ fl oz/¹/₃ cup) peanut oil

16 large sea scallops

100 g (3½ oz) green beans, topped and tailed, cut into 8 cm (3¼ inch) lengths

2 spring onions (scallions), cut into 8 cm (3¼ inch) lengths, green and white part

3 cm (1¼ inch) piece fresh ginger, peeled and finely chopped

8 garlic cloves, finely chopped

1 tablespoon Shaoxing rice wine or dry sherry

1 tablespoon yellow bean soy sauce (available from Asian grocers)

1 tablespoon Chinkiang black vinegar

1 teaspoon sugar

3 tablespoons oyster sauce

3 tablespoons chicken stock

freshly ground white pepper

1 fresh long red chilli, seeded and julienned

1 small handful coriander (cilantro) leaves

Heat a wok over high heat until smoking.

Add half the oil and, when hot, quickly stir-fry the scallops in batches until almost cooked through. Remove and wipe the wok clean with paper towel.

Reheat the wok with another tablespoon of oil and stir-fry the beans and spring onions until just tender, then remove from the wok.

Heat the last tablespoon of oil in the wok and stir-fry the ginger and garlic until fragrant.

Deglaze the wok with the Shaoxing, then add the soy sauce, vinegar, sugar, oyster sauce and stock and simmer for 2 minutes. Return the cooked scallops, beans and spring onions to the wok and toss together.

Spoon into a serving bowl, give it a good grind of white pepper and sprinkle with the chilli strips and coriander leaves.