Prawn and Asparagus Stir-fry

Asparagus season is upon us! This is a super-fast stir-fry that can be thrown together in less than 10 minutes. Pair those glorious greens with plump prawns and you have a dinner that may just become your new favourite. The chillies are optional of course and can be eliminated completely, but that would be a shame as the heat of the dish complements the other Asian flavours so well. If you are cooking for two, simply double the recipe.

Ingredients

• 1 tsp sesame seeds
• 1 tsp sesame oil / roasted peanut oil
• 100g asparagus, trimmed into appropriate size-pieces
• 1 clove garlic, peeled and diced
• 1 tsp fresh ginger, finely diced
• ½ red chili, seeds removed and sliced (optional)
• 100g raw peeled King prawns, peeled (defrosted if using frozen)
• 1 tsp rice wine
• 1 tsp soy sauce

Method

1. Toast the sesame seeds in a hot, dry pan. Remove and set aside.
2. Heat the oil in a wok and add the asparagus. Cook for a minute or two, then add the garlic, ginger and chilli*. Fry for an additional minute and then add the prawns.
3. The prawns do not take very long at all – as soon as both sides have turned pink, add the rice wine and soy sauce and toss evenly to coat and finish cooking.
4. Serve immediately and garnish with the toasted sesame seeds.

*Garlic tends to burn very quickly and turns bitter and unpalatable. Its good practice to add the things that take longest to cook first and add your garlic halfway through.