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Chicken and Snake bean stir fry

This is a stir-fry inspired by a lunch I had with ‘Ah-e’ (Aunty) in Beijing. She cooked a simple but delicious chicken and snake bean stir-fry, and this is my quick version. From Chinese Food in Minutes, Ching he Huang. Serves 2

250g/9oz skinless chicken breast, cut into strips
1 teaspoon Shaohsing rice wine or dry sherry
1 teaspoon dark soy sauce
cornflour
2 tablespoons groundnut oil
1 garlic clove, crushed and finely chopped
1 dried Chinese mushroom, pre-soaked in hot water for 20 minutes, then drained and sliced
100g/31/2oz snake beans or trimmed French beans
50g/2oz toasted cashew nuts
25ml/1fl oz hot chicken stock
1 teaspoon light soy sauce
a dash of toasted sesame oil
1 pinch of ground white pepper
steamed jasmine rice to serve

1. Marinate the chicken in the rice wine or sherry and the dark soy sauce for 10–15 minutes.

2. Just before cooking, dust the chicken lightly with cornflour. Heat a wok over a high heat and add the groundnut oil. When the oil starts to smoke, add the garlic and mushroom and stir-fry for a few seconds, then add the chicken and stir-fry for a few minutes until slightly browned.

3. Add the beans and stir-fry for 2 minutes until tender, then add the cashew nuts.

4. Add the hot stock and season with the light soy sauce, sesame oil and white pepper. Serve immediately with jasmine rice.