James Martin's super speedy chilli beef

Friday 22 July at 4:38pm

James takes on the takeaway with his Chinese inspired recipe for Chilli Beef - it'll bring a new meaning to Friday night fast food, taking less than 15 minutes to make it to the table.

Ingredients

For the chilli beef

Oil for deep frying, plus 2 tbsp extra400g/14oz beef fillet, cut into thin strips4 tbsp Sichuan peppercorns2 oranges, zest only1 tsp salt8 tbsp rice flour (substitute potato flour or cornflour if desired) 2 carrots, peeled and julienned

For the sauce

150ml/5fl oz rice wine vinegar150g/5oz caster sugar4 tbsp soy sauce2 red chillies, finely chopped2 tsp dried chilli flakes10cm/4in piece fresh ginger, finely grated

For garnish

2 spring onions4 tbsp chopped fresh coriander

Method

For the chilli beef, heat the oil in a deep heavy-based frying pan until a breadcrumb sizzles and turns brown when dropped into it. (CAUTION: hot oil can be dangerous. Do not leave unattended.) Alternatively, heat a deep fat fryer to 190C.
In a bowl, coat the beef strips in the two tablespoons of vegetable oil.
Heat a frying pan until hot, add the Sichuan peppercorns and dry fry for one minute, or until fragrant. Transfer to a pestle and mortar and crush until coarsely ground, then add the orange zest and crush again until well combined.
In a bowl, mix together the salt, rice flour and Sichuan pepper and orange zest mixture until well combined.
Add the beef strips and mix well to coat them in the mixture. Discard the remaining flour and Sichuan pepper mixture.
Carefully lower the coated beef strips into the hot oil in batches and fry for 2-3 minutes, or until crisp and golden-brown. Remove from the pan using a slotted spoon and set aside to drain on kitchen paper. Repeat the process with the remaining beef strips.
Carefully lower the carrot strips into the hot oil and fry for 1-2 minutes, or until just softened (they should float to the surface of the oil when ready).
Remove from the pan using a slotted spoon and set aside to drain on kitchen paper. Repeat the process with the remaining carrot strips.
For the sauce, heat a non-reactive frying pan over a medium heat. When the pan is hot, add the rice wine vinegar, sugar and soy sauce and bring the mixture to the boil.
Add the chillies, chilli flakes and grated ginger and cook for 2-3 minutes, or until the mixture is sticky and has thickened.
Add the fried beef and carrot strips and cook for 1-2 minutes, stirring well to combine.
To serve, divide the stir-fried noodles equally among four serving plates. Spoon over the chilli beef strips in the sauce.