Ingredients

The following ingredients have 4 Servings
  • 8 boneless chicken thighs (chopped into bitesize chunks)
  • 1 tbsp dark soy sauce
  • 1 tbsp light soy sauce
  • 1 tbsp Chinese rice wine
  • ¼ tsp white pepper
  • 2 tbsp cornflour (cornstarch)
  • 240 ml (1 cup) sunflower oil
  • 1 tbsp sesame oil
  • 1 onion (peeled and chopped into chunks)
  • 25 dried red chillies ( – chop 5 of them into small pieces and leave the rest whole)
  • 1 1/2 tsp Sichuan peppercorns (ground using a pestle and mortar (the 1 1/2 tsp is measured BEFORE grinding))
  • 3 cloves garlic (minced)
  • 2 tsp minced ginger
  • 5 spring onions (scallions roughly chopped)
  • 2 tbsp light soy sauce
  • 1 tbsp Chinese rice wine
  • 1 tbsp chilli bean paste (*See Note)
  • 1 tbsp sugar

Instruction

  • Place the chicken pieces in a bowl with the rest of the marinade ingredients. Stir together, cover and marinade for 30 minutes (or up to a couple of hours – place in the refrigerator if marinading for more than 30 minutes).
  • Heat the oil (reserving 1 tbsp for later) over a medium-high heat in a large frying pan.
  • Add the chicken, a piece at a time (you may need to work in 2 batches), and cook for 4-5 minutes, turning a couple of times, until golden.
  • Remove from the pan and place on a plate.
  • Heat the reserved 1 tbsp of sunflower oil along with 1 tbsp of sesame oil in a wok over a medium-high heat.
  • Add the onion and dried chillies and stir fry for 2-3 minutes, stirring often, until the onion starts to soften slightly.
  • Add in the ground Sichuan peppers and fry for a further minute.
  • Add in the garlic, ginger and spring onions and stir fry for a further 30 seconds.
  • Add in the soy sauce, rice wine, chilli bean paste and sugar. Stir together and fry for another minute.
  • Add in the cooked chicken and toss everything together, heating for a further minute or two until the chicken is hot.
  • Serve with boiled rice.