Ingredients

The following ingredients have 4 Servings
  • 500 g (1.1 lb) skinless chicken thighs
  • 10 dried red Sichuan chillies (or any non smoked dried red chillies)
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • 2.5 cm (1") ginger
  • 2 spring onions (scallions)
  • 1 tsp sesame seeds
  • 250 ml (1 cup) vegetable oil to fry the chicken ((more if necessary))
  • 1 large egg white
  • 1 Tbsp light soy sauce
  • 1 tsp dark soy sauce
  • 2 Tbsp Shaoxing wine (or regular rice wine or dry sherry)
  • 1 Tbsp vodka (optional)
  • 2 Tbsp cornflour (cornstarch in the US)
  • 35 g (¼ cup) rice flour
  • 35 g (¼ cup) cornflour
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/4 tsp ground white pepper
  • 125 ml (½ cup) chicken stock
  • 2 Tbsp concentrated tomato paste
  • 2 Tbsp tomato ketchup
  • 1 Tbsp Shaoxing wine (or dry sherry)
  • 1 Tbsp rice vinegar (or regular clear vinegar)
  • 1 Tbsp dark soy sauce
  • 1 Tbsp light soy sauce
  • 4 Tbsp white sugar
  • 1 Tbsp cornflour (cornstarch)

Instruction

  • Cut the chicken thighs into bitesize pieces.
  • Place all the marinade ingredients into a bowl and add the chicken. Coat the chicken pieces thoroughly and leave to marinade for 20 minutes.
  • Chop up the garlic and ginger finely. You could also grate the ginger if you prefer.
  • Slice the spring onions (scallions) in small rings separating the white and green in two bowls.
  • Place the dry coat ingredients onto a flat plate and mix thoroughly.
  • Add all the sauce ingredients in a bowl, whisk with a fork to mix, and set aside.
  • Heat the 250ml (1 cup) of oil in a wok or deep frying pan on high heat until it's hot and just smoking. Lower the heat to medium high (that means about 3/4 of the way).
  • Take the marinated chicken pieces, and dip them into the dry coat one at a time. Shake off excess flour and carefully lower it into the hot oil. Don't drop it in, you might get splashed with the hot oil. Use a spatula to lower the chicken in, if it worries you. Don't overcrowd, fry 5-6 pieces at a time.
  • Cook the chicken for 3 minutes, turning, if not completely covered by the oil. When done, drain on a plate lined with kitchen paper.
  • When all the chicken pieces are cooked, pour out all the oil but 1 tablespoon of it and place back on the stove and lower the heat to medium.
  • Add the chillies, garlic, ginger and white spring onions (scallions) and fry for 30 seconds.
  • Stir the sauce that you had set aside earlier with a spoon, as the cornflour would have settled to the bottom. Now add this sauce to the wok and bring to a boil, stirring as it thickens (because of the cornflour).
  • Add the chicken pieces and stir for 30 seconds, still on medium heat, and coat the chicken pieces thoroughly.
  • Take off the heat and stir in the sesame oil.
  • Dish out onto a warm plate and scatter the green spring onion (scallions) slices and sesame seeds all over and serve immediately.