Marinating: With sharp paring knife, scrape chicken meat from thigh;
slice into thin strips across the grain
(Breast meat is not preferred for
this dish, as meat is too dry and spongy
) Combine sherry, soy, cornstarch
and sugar in bowl; massage liquid into meat with your fingers
Marinate
for 15 to 30 minutes
Preparation: Wash asparagus; peel tough white outer skin off ends; slice
on diagonal in 2 1/2" sections
Rinse fermented black beans
In bowl,
combine and mash black beans and garlic, brown sugar, black soy sauce and
chicken stock; stir; reserve for 15 minutes
Stir Frying: Add 2/3 of oil to hot wok; when oil is very hot, add
chicken
Stir-fry for about 3 minutes on high heat - or until chicken begins to
shrink and firm up
Remove chicken to holding bowl
Reheat wok to high, add remaining oil
When oil is hot, add black bean
sauce
Stir-fry for 1 minute
Add asparagus; mix with sauce
Stir sauce
with asparagus
When sauce boils, add cooked chicken; toss to combine
Dribble in a little cornstarch paste if needed; cornstarch in chicken
marinade might be enough
Toss ingredients until very little liquid
remains and is reduced to glaze
Dish is ready when asparagus brightens
If you still have too much liquid, remove ingredients, continue to reduce
sauce, then return ingredients to coat them with sauce
Serve in
individual portions