A simple stir-fry that combines chicken and shiitake mushrooms (dried brown mushrooms) with the bite of ginger and the freshness of asparagus. Remember, a stir-fry is ill-named — you should lift and flip the food, rather than stirring.

Ingredients
Feeds 4. Takes 30 mins plus soaking.

6 dried shiitake mushrooms
1 chicken breast, skinless
250g asparagus, finely sliced
2tbsp peanut oil
1 garlic clove, squashed
1 knob ginger, cut into matchsticks
100g bean sprouts, rinsed
2tbsp soy sauce
2tbsp oyster sauce
½tsp salt
½tsp sugar
1tbsp Chinese rice wine, mixed with 1tsp cornflour
2 spring onions, finely chopped

FOR THE MARINADE

1tbsp soy sauce
1tbsp Chinese rice wine
1tsp cornflour

Cover the mushrooms with 200ml boiling water and leave to soak for at least 30 minutes. Finely slice the chicken against the grain, and cut each slice in two. Make the marinade: mix the soy sauce, rice wine and cornflour in a bowl and toss the chicken to coat.

Trim the asparagus by bending each one until it snaps. Discard the woody ends and cut asparagus into 2cm lengths. Cook in simmering salted water for one minute, then drain and refresh under cold water. Drain the mushrooms, reserving the soaking water (strain out any grit).

Heat the wok until hot and add the oil. When hot, add the garlic and toss for one minute to flavour the oil, then discard. Add the chicken, and flip-fry over high heat for two minutes until lightly coloured. Remove the chicken with a slotted spoon, add a little extra oil if necessary and, when hot, add the ginger and asparagus and flip-fry for two minutes.

Add the drained mushrooms, bean sprouts, soy sauce and oyster sauce, salt and sugar, and flip-fry over a high heat for two minutes until hot. Return the chicken to the pan and add a couple of spoonfuls of the mushroom water if too dry. Mix the remaining rice wine and cornflour, add to the pan and bring to the boil, tossing, until the sauce thickens. Add the spring onions, toss well and serve.

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