Chicken & White Bean Stew

Method

1. Peel and finely slice the red onion.
2. Crush and roughly chop the garlic. Pick the rosemary leaves off the stem and finely chop.
3. Slice the asparagus into 2 cm (¾ inch) pieces, working from the tip down. When the stalk starts to sound woody under the knife, stop and discard the tough base.
4. Dice the chicken into small, bite-sized pieces.
5. Put a small saucier or saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the olive oil, onion and ½ tsp salt. Sweat the onion, stirring often, for 2–3 minutes, or until soft.
6. Add the chicken and stir until lightly golden brown. Add the gochugaru, coriander, cumin, MSG, garlic and rosemary and stir to coat the chicken, then immediately add 30 ml (2 tbsp) water to deglaze the pan. Ground spices burn almost instantly on a hot pan and turn bitter.
7. Add the tomatoes and break them up with a spatula, leaving a few larger chunks. Simmer for 2 minutes, then add the beans and asparagus and simmer for a further 4 minutes. Thin asparagus spears need only 1–2 minutes.
8. Once the asparagus is cooked, taste and adjust the seasoning with salt if needed. Stir through some finely chopped parsley and serve.