Sichuan Beef Stir Fry

A simple stir-fry with typically hot, spicy, peppery Sichuan flavours. You can leave out the chilli oil and adjust the amount of chilli bean sauce in this recipe to suit how hot and spicy you want your dish to be :)

Serves 4 as part of a multi-course meal

Ingredients

400g lean beef
2 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp Chinese rice wine
1 tsp cornflour
3 celery stalks
1 small cucumber, halved lengthwise
3 tbsp vegetable or peanut oil
1 tbsp ginger, cut into fine matchsticks
1 fresh red chilli, seeded and cut into matchsticks
2 tbsp chilli bean sauce or chilli sauce
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp sesame oil
1 tsp chilli oil, optional
½ tsp ground Sichuan peppercorns

Method

Cut the meat against the grain into strips and toss with the soy, rice wine and cornflour. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes to marinate.

Meanwhile, de-string the celery, trim the ends and cut into five-centimetre lengths, then into matchsticks. Cut the cucumber into one-centimetre slices.

Heat the oil in a wok until hot and stir-fry the ginger, chilli and celery for 10 seconds.

Add the beef and cook over high heat for two minutes. Add the cucumber, chilli bean sauce and sugar tossing well for one minute. Add the sesame oil and chilli oil (if using). Scatter with ground Sichuan peppercorns and serve with jasmine rice.