Scallops in chilli black bean sauce on kai lan with enoki mushrooms recipe

By Ching-He Huang

Kai lan, or Chinese broccoli, is prized for its tender stems and goes fantastically with scallops in this easy stir-fry recipe.

2 tbsp dried black beans
4 tbsp Shaoxing rice wine
200g kai lan (available in Sainsbury’s and oriental stores) or tenderstem broccoli
1 tbsp groundnut oil
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
3cm piece fresh ginger, grated
12 large scallops
2 tsp oyster sauce
100ml freshly brewed green tea, hot
2 medium red chillies, deseeded and chopped
Dash of light soy sauce
1 tbsp cornflour, blended with 2 tbsp cold water
2 spring onions, diagonally sliced
100g enoki mushrooms (from larger supermarkets)

1. Soak the black beans in the Shaoxing wine for 10 minutes, to soften. Crush together and set aside.
2. Bring a little water to the boil in a wok or saucepan – make sure a steamer will fit in the wok without the base being submerged in the water. Put the kai lan in the steamer, cover and steam for 3-4 minutes. Remove the steamer from the wok and set aside, covered, to keep warm.
3. Dry the wok and heat over a high heat. When hot, add the oil. Add the garlic, ginger and black beans and stir-fry for 30 seconds.Then add the scallops and stir-fry for 30-45 seconds. Add the oyster sauce and tea and stir-fry for 11/2-2 minutes.
4. Add the chillies and season with light soy sauce. Stir in the blended cornflour, cook for 30 seconds, then sprinkle over the spring onions.
5. To serve, arrange the kai lan on plates, top with the scallops, then the mushrooms. Pour over plenty of the sauce. If having as a main course, serve with steamed jasmine rice.