Asparagus & chicken in black bean sauce

2    chicken thighs
     12 md Asparagus spears
      3 tb Peanut or corn oil
           MARINADE:
      1 tb Dry sherry
      1 ts Cornstarch
      2 ts Thin soy sauce
      1 pn Sugar
           SAUCE:
      2 ts Fermented black beans
      3    Cloves garlic, minced
    1/2 ts Brown sugar
      2 ts Black soy sauce
    3/4 c  chicken stock
           Cornstarch paste as
           -thickener
 
  Marinating:  With sharp paring knife, scrape chicken meat from thigh; slice
  into thin strips across the grain.  (Breast meat is not preferred for this
  dish, as meat is too dry and spongy.)  Combine sherry, soy, cornstarch and
  sugar in bowl; massage liquid into meat with your fingers. Marinate for 15
  to
  30 minutes.
  Preparation:  Wash asparagus; peel tough white outer skin off ends; slice
  on
  diagonal in 2 1/2" sections.  Rinse fermented black beans. In bowl, combine
  and mash black beans and garlic, brown sugar, black soy sauce and chicken
  stock; stir; reserve for 15 minutes.
  Stir-Frying:  Add 2/3 of oil to hot wok; when oil is very hot, add chicken.
  Stir-fry for about 3 minutes on high heat - or until chicken begins to
  shrink
  and firm up.  Remove chicken to holding bowl.
  Reheat wok to high, add remaining oil.  When oil is hot, add black bean
  sauce.  Stir-fry for 1 minute.  Add asparagus; mix with sauce. Stir sauce
  with asparagus.  When sauce boils, add cooked chicken; toss to combine.
  Dribble in a little cornstarch paste if needed; cornstarch in chicken
  marinade might be enough.  Toss ingredients until very little liquid
  remains
  and is reduced to glaze.  Dish is ready when asparagus brightens. If you
  still have too much liquid, remove ingredients, continue to reduce sauce,
  then return ingredients to coat them with sauce. Serve in individual
  portions.