Beijing tea house stir-fry recipe

John Gregory-Smith
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I got my inspiration for this delicious dish at a restaurant called Han Cang in the Xicheng district of Beijing, where I ate lunch with friends one memorable autumn day. We walked there via the beautiful complex of lakes that spread out from The Forbidden Palace, over ornate Chinese bridges with brown and orange leaves drifting gently underneath and past the rows of government exercise bikes and cross trainers that line the banks of the lakes. Amazing! Lunch was a taste of real China. We had sweet and sour fish, beef hot pot and a lovely stir-fried mushroom dish. This is my version of that stir-fry.

Ingredients

2 tbsp Vegetable oil
1 tsp Szechuan peppercorns
3 Garlic cloves, sliced lengthways
1 2.5 cm Piece root ginger, peeled and finely chopped
1 Red onion, finely chopped
1 tsp Chilli flakes
250 g Oyster mushrooms, torn in smaller pieces
200 g Pak choi, cut in half
2 tbsp Soy sauce
1 tbsp Vegetarian oyster sauce
150 g Rice, to serve (optional)

Details

Cuisine: Chinese
Recipe Type: Main
Difficulty: Easy
Preparation Time: 5 mins
Cooking Time: 10 mins
Serves: 4

Step-by-step

Heat a large wok over a high heat and add the oil. Once smoking hot, remove from the heat and add the Szechuan peppercorns. Stir in the hot oil for 30 seconds and then remove with a slotted spoon. This will give you all their spicy numbing flavour without leaving behind any gritty bits.
Reheat the wok over a high heat. Once smoking hot again, add the garlic, ginger, onion and chilli flakes and stir-fry for 1-2 minutes, or until everything starts to turn golden. Add the mushrooms and stir-fry for another 2 minutes until they start to wilt and take on a little colour, then add the pak choi and stir-fry for 2 minutes until it starts to soften. Pour in the soy sauce and oyster sauce and stir-fry for 1 minute until everything is coated in the rich juices and piping hot.