Stir Fried Asparagus

Asparagus lends itself quite well to being stir fried and makes a good accompanying dish to a meal based on Asian flavors. The sesame seeds add a bit of character, which you can further enhance by using a few drops of sesame oil in the cooking process.

There should be plenty for 4 people using:

• 750g asparagus
• 1 tbs sesame seeds
• 2 tbs peanut oil plus 1 tsp sesame oil
• 2 crushed cloves of garlic
• 1 tsp grated ginger
• 1 tbs light soy sauce
• 1 small piece of palm sugar (about 1 teaspoonful)
• white pepper to taste

In a heated dry wok saute the sesame seeds until they are golden. Be careful not to burn them as they will cook very quickly once they are hot. Transfer them to a small plate or bowl.

Prepare the asparagus by snapping off the woody end and peeling the remainder with a potato peeler. This will greatly improve the finished texture. Cut the spears at an angle into 5cm (1 inch) pieces

Reheat the wok and add the sesame oil, then quickly stir-fry the garlic, ginger and asparagus pieces over a high heat for no more than 3 minutes, after which time the asparagus will still retain most of its crispness. Drop the palm sugar and sesame seeds into the wok, season lightly with the pepper, add the soy sauce and stir-fry rapidly for a further 60 seconds and no longer. Serve at once.

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