Method
Marinate
Mix the lamb with 1 tbsp light soy sauce, Shaoxing wine, cornstarch, and sesame oil. Leave for 15 minutes.
Blast the lamb
Get the wok screaming hot, add the oil (more than usual), and stir-fry the lamb over the highest heat. Pull it out the moment it changes colour — aim for 70% cooked. Don't overcook it here.
Fry the spring onion
In the same wok with residual oil, fry the garlic and ginger until fragrant. Add the spring onion sections and toss over high heat for 30 seconds — softened but still with a bite.
Combine and finish
Return the lamb to the wok. Add 1.5 tbsp light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, vinegar, sugar, white pepper, and cumin. Blast over high heat for 30 seconds until the sauce coats everything. Serve immediately.
Key Tips
- Everything happens over maximum heat — from first contact to plate should be under 2 minutes
- Pulling the lamb out early is the key move; it only goes back in to get coated, not to cook further
- Keep the spring onion slightly crunchy — don't cook it to mush
- The extra oil isn't optional — it's what creates the wok hei (breath of the wok)
- The tiny splash of vinegar won't make it sour; it just lifts the whole dish
Feedback
- This dish does use a lot of oil — that's the nature of the blast-fry technique, just accept it
- Soy sauce can be increased slightly, or add a pinch of salt at the end to taste
- White pepper + cumin is a great upgrade — the cumin adds a fragrant depth that really suits lamb, highly recommended