Instructions: Various colourful vegetables constitute the rainbow and they are stirfried with beef and garnished with crispy bean thread (transparent) noodles and hoisin sauce to create a delicious combination of tastes and textures.

This dish makes a good starter for a dinner party or festive occasion. The rainbow beef mixture crispy noodles and lettuce leaves are served on individual platters and the hoisin sauce in a small bowl. Each guest puts a helping of each ingredient into a hollow lettuce leaf (rather like stuffing a pancake) and eats the filled leaf with his or her fingers.

Put the beef in the freezer for 20 minutes if possible as this will allow the meat to harden slightly for easier cutting.

Then cut it into thin slices 5cm long.

Put the beef slices into a small bowl together with the dry sherry or rice wine and light soy sauce and let them marinade for about 20 minutes.

Meanwhile peel and cut the carrots into 5cm long fine shreds.

Cut the bamboo shoots courgettes and pepper into 5cm fine shreds also.

If you are using the dried mushrooms soak them in warm water for 20 minutes drain them and squeeze out any excess liquid.

Trim offthe stems and shred the caps into 5cm long strips.

Separate and wash the lettuce leaves wiping off any excess water and set them aside.

In a deep fat fryer or large wok heat 300ml of oil until it is almost smoking.

Deep fry the noodles until they are crisp and puffed up.

Drain them on kitchen paper. (Leave the oil to cool; it can be saved for future use.)

Put one tablespoon of the oil in which you have fried the noodles into a wok or frying pan and heat it.

Stir fry the beef for about 1 minute.

Remove the beef and put it into a bowl.

Wipe the wok or pan clean.

Re heat the pan and when it is hot add 1 tablespoon of fresh oil.

When it is smoking slightly stir fry the carrots for 1 minute and then add the rest of the vegetables (except the lettuce) together with the soy sauce and sherry or rice wine.

Stir fry the mixture for 3 minutes and then return the beef to the pan.

Mix well and continue to stir fry for 1 more minute.

Turn the mixture on to a platter.

Arrange the lettuce and noodles each on separate platters put the hoisin sauce into a small bowl and serve at once.

Serves 4

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