Quick-cooked Asparagus

Ingredients:

• 100g fresh asparagus spears
  
• Oil for deep frying
  
• 1 cup water
  
• ¼ tsp salt
  
• ¼ tsp sugar
  
• ¾ cup chicken stock
  
• 1 tsp Chinese rice wine
  
• ¼ tsp sesame oil
  
• 1 tsp cornflour, mixed with water
  
• 1 tbsp finely shredded Yunnan ham

Directions:

1. Trim off the hard ends of the asparagus and dry the spears thoroughly.
2. Heat oil in a wok and deep fry the asparagus over very high heat for just 15 seconds. Drain and set aside. Discard oil.
3. Bring water, salt and sugar to a fast boil in the wok and blanch the asparagus for 15 seconds, or slightly longer if using thick asparagus spears.
4. Pour off the water and add stock, wine and sesame oil to the asparagus.
5. Bring to the boil, then thicken with cornflour.
6. Serve garnished with the ham.