Peppered Pork Stir Fry

Serves 4

Preparation time 10 minutes + 30 minutes for the marinade

• 450g pork tenderloin, cut into finger-size pieces

For the marinade:

• 2 teaspoons cornstarch
• 2 tablespoons dark soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon Sake (or dry sherry)
• 1 small clove garlic, crushed
• 2 small red chillies, chopped finely
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• a little freshly ground black pepper

For the stir fry:

• 2 tablespoons groundnut oil
• 6 spring onions (white part only), sliced thinly
• 1/2 red, 1/2 yellow, 1/2 orange bell peppers (de-seeded and cut into thin strips)
• 60g mangetout, cut in half lengthways
• 125g bean sprouts, blanched
• 1 tablespoon dark soy sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon sesame oil

1. To make the marinade, mix all the marinade ingredients together in a Le Creuset gratin dish. Add the pork and turn in the marinade so that it is evenly coated. Cover and leave to stand for 30 minutes to 1 hour in the refrigerator. Drain the pork well and pat it dry with paper towels before stir-frying.
2. Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in the wok over medium heat on the stovetop. Add the spring onions and stir-fry, until they are just beginning to soften. Push these up onto the side wall of the wok.
3. Add the bell peppers, mangetout and bean sprouts and stir-fry for 1-2 minutes, pushing these up onto the side wall as well.
4. Add the remaining oil to the wok, and when it is hot, add the pork and stir-fry for 2 to 3 minutes until it is tender.
5. When the pork is cooked, push all the vegetables back into the middle of the wok. Add the soy sauce, sesame oil, 1 tablespoon of water, and a little ground black pepper. Stir together.
6. Taste before adding any salt because the soy sauce will add its saltiness and this might be sufficient.
7. Serve immediately with fried rice or boiled plain rice or noodles.
8. Bon Appétit!

Note
Marinating the pork in the cornstarch and other spicy ingredients produces the very glossy and pungent flavour that many recipes from the Szechuan region of China are known for. Prepare all the ingredients in advance before cooking begins; the stir-fry dish is cooked from start to finish in just a few minutes.