Stir-fried Prawn Paste And Asparagus With 'yu Xiang' Sauce Recipe

Rinse prawns, pat dry, and set on a plate. Trim the woody ends from the asparagus and slice each stalk on the bias into 2–3 inch pieces. Finely mince garlic and ginger. Slice the white part of scallions thinly and cut the green parts into 1-inch pieces.

If prawn paste is very salty or intensely aromatic, grate or crumble 1 tablespoon, place in a small sieve and rinse briefly under cold water, then pat dry — this tames extreme saltiness while keeping flavor.

Mix the Yu Xiang sauce: in a bowl whisk together hot stock, rice vinegar, light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, sugar, Chinese black vinegar, and chili bean paste until sugar dissolves. In a separate small bowl combine cornstarch with 1 tablespoon cold water to make a slurry and set aside.

Heat and bloom aromatics

Place a large wok or skillet over medium-high heat. Add neutral oil. When oil is shimmering, add the prawn paste and stir-fry 30–45 seconds until fragrant and slightly darkened but not burnt. Add minced garlic, minced ginger and the white part of the scallion; stir continuously for 20–30 seconds until aromatic.

Cook prawns

Increase heat to high. Add the prawns in a single layer and stir-fry 1–2 minutes until they start to turn pink on the edges. Season lightly with 1/8 teaspoon salt and a pinch of white pepper. Push prawns to one side of the wok.

Stir-fry asparagus

Add the asparagus to the cleared side of the wok with a splash (about 1–2 teaspoons) of oil if needed. Stir-fry 2–3 minutes until bright green and just tender-crisp — they should still have bite. If asparagus are thicker and need more cooking, add up to 1–2 tablespoons of the hot stock, cover briefly (30 seconds) and then uncover.

Combine and add sauce

Toss prawns and asparagus together. Pour the prepared Yu Xiang sauce mixture into the wok and bring to a gentle simmer. Stir to coat all ingredients and allow sauce to reduce slightly for 1 minute.

Thicken sauce

Give the cornstarch slurry a quick stir and drizzle it into the simmering sauce while stirring constantly. The sauce should thicken and become glossy within 20–30 seconds. Adjust seasoning: taste and add remaining salt (up to 1/8 teaspoon more) or a pinch more sugar or vinegar to balance sweet-sour-spicy as desired.

Finish

Turn off heat. Stir in sesame oil and the green parts of the scallion. Transfer to a serving plate. Sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds and cilantro if using.