Velvet Chicken

1. In a large bowl, beat the egg whites with the toban djan, salt, 2 tablespoons of the rice wine and 1 tablespoon of the cornstarch. Add the chicken and toss well, then cover and refrigerate for 2 hours.

2. In a large saucepan, heat 1 inch of peanut oil to 375°. Using a large slotted spoon, very carefully add one-third of the chicken to the hot oil and fry, stirring, until nearly cooked through and browned in spots, 1 to 2 minutes. Using the slotted spoon, transfer the chicken to a paper towel-line baking sheet to drain. Repeat two more times with the remaining chicken. Reserve 2 tablespoons of the frying oil.

3. In a small bowl, whisk the remaining 2 tablespoons of rice wine with the black bean sauce, sugar, soy sauce and the remaining 1 tablespoon of cornstarch.

4. In a wok or large skillet, heat the reserved 2 tablespoons of frying oil. Add the scallions, ginger, garlic and dried chiles and stir-fry for 30 seconds. Add the chicken and asparagus and stir-fry until the asparagus is crisp-tender, about 3 minutes. Add the black bean sauce mixture and stir-fry for 1 minute. Transfer to a platter and serve.

Notes

Toban djan is available at Asian markets or at unitednoodles.com.