Five Spice Pork & Mushroom Stir Fry

Serves 4

3tbsp oyster sauce
2tbsp cornflour
salt and pepper
450g pork loin, trimmed and sliced
2tbsp groundnut oil (or any oil)
2 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
2 1/2cm piece root ginger, peeled and grated
1tsp dried chilli flakes, crushed
2 carrots, cut into fine sticks
175g pak choi, washed and sliced
200g large flat mushrooms, sliced
150g chestnut mushrooms, sliced
2tbsp dark soy sauce
2tbsp rice wine or dry sherry
300ml chicken stock
1/2tsp Chinese five spice powder
1tbsp cornflour mixed with 2tbsp cold water
sliced spring onion, to garnish

Mix together the oyster sauce and cornflour.  Season, add the pork and mix.

Heat a wok or large frying pan over a high heat and add the groundnut oil.  Add the pork and stir fry for 3-4 mins until golden brown.

Add the garlic, ginger and chilli flakes and stir fry for 30 secs.  Add the carrots, pak choi and mushrooms and stir fry for another 2 mins.

Next, add the soy sauce, rice wine, chicken stock and five spice.  Bring to the boil and simmer for 1 min.  Stir in the cornflour mixture and cook for a further 1 min, stirring until the sauce thickens.  

Sprinkle over the spring onions and serve with rice.

Verdict

We have this meal every week, it's one of our favourites and it takes no time at all.  The pork is cheap to buy and it's soooo tender because you don't cook it for long.  We don't have it with rice as there's always loads of it for just 2 of us but if you're making it for 4 people I would have it with rice or rice noodles.  I always put the spring onions in for a minute's cooking before serving so they're not raw and overpowering.