Ingredients

• 450g/1lb lean beef fillet
• cut into thin slices
• 2 tsp light soy sauce
• 1 tsp rice wine or dry sherry
• 1 tsp cornflour
• 2 tbsp groundnut oil
• 225g/8oz onion
• thickly sliced
• 3 tbsp water
• 2 tbsp oyster sauce
• small handful fresh mint leaves
• 175g/6oz bean thread (glass) noodles
• 1 tbsp groundnut oil
• 2 tbsp black beans
• coarsely chopped
• 3 tbsp spring onions
• finely chopped
• 2 tbsp garlic
• coarsely chopped
• 1 tbsp ginger
• finely chopped
• 110g/4oz carrots
• finely chopped
• 110g/4oz bean curd
• finely chopped
• 225g/8oz Chinese flowering cabbage or pak choi
• finely chopped
• 250ml/9fl oz water
• 2 tbsp Shaoxing rice wine or dry sherry
• 1½ tbsp chilli bean sauce
• from a jar
• 1 tbsp whole yellow bean sauce
• from a jar
• 2 tbsp light soy sauce
• 2 tsp dark soy sauce
• ½ tsp salt
• ½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tsp sesame oil
• 2 tsp spring onions
• finely chopped
• to serve

Directions

• For the beef
• place the beef strips into a bowl and add the light soy sauce
• rice wine and cornflour and mix well. Leave to marinate for 10-20 minutes.
• Heat a wok until very hot and then pour in the oil.
• Add the marinated beef and stir-fry for one minute
• or until browned all over. Remove the beef with a slotted spoon and set aside.
• Add the onions to the wok and stir-fry for 1-2 minutes
• Pour in the water and cook for three minutes.
• Drain off the juices collected from the beef and add to the wok.
• Add the oyster sauce and stir for a minute then return the beef to the wok and add the mint leaves. Continue to stir-fry for one minute then remove from the heat.
• For the noodles
• soak the noodles in a large bowl of warm water for 15 minutes. When they are soft
• drain them and discard the water.
• Cut the noodles into 7.5cm/3 in lengths.
• Heat a clean wok until hot
• then add the groundnut oil. When it is very hot and slightly smoking
• add the black beans
• spring onions
• garlic and ginger and stir fry quickly for 15 seconds.
• Add the carrots and stir fry for two minutes.
• Add the bean curd and Chinese flowering cabbage or pak choi and carefully mix together without breaking up the bean curd.
• Add all of the remaining ingredients
• except the sesame oil and cook the mixture over a gentle heat for about two minutes.
• Now add the drained noodles and sesame oil and cook for a further three minutes.
• To serve
• ladle some of the noodles and sauce into individual bowls or into one large serving bowl. Place the stir fried beef alongside
• garnish with the spring onion and serve at once.