Sichuan Popcorn Chicken

• 300g chicken thighs skin on and deboned
• 200g cornflour
• Vegetable oil (for frying)

The Marinade

• 2 cloves garlic (finely chopped)
• 1 tsp ginger (finely chopped)
• 1 tbsp Shaoxing rice wine
• 1 tbsp light soy sauce
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1/2 tsp Chinese five-spice powder
• 1 tsp white pepper

The Seasoning (spice mix)

• 2 garlic cloves
• Thumb-size piece of ginger
• 1 tbsp Sichuan peppercorns
• 2 spring onions, roughly chopped
• 5 dried chillies, cut into pieces

Cut the meat into 2cm cubes and place in a large mixing bowl.

Add the marinade ingredients and, using your hands, massage the pieces until they are evenly coated, refrigerate for an hour or overnight if you prefer.

For the seasoning mix, finely chop the garlic and ginger. Roughly chop the spring onions and cut the dried chillies into pieces.

Half-fill a large pot, wok or deep-fryer with vegetable oil and heat to 180°C (350°F), or until the tip of a wooden chopstick or skewer starts to fizz after a second or so in the oil.

In small batches, dredge the chicken pieces with the cornflour and carefully add the pieces into the wok.

Deep-fry until golden brown, about 4-5 minutes or until cooked through. Remove the pieces carefully with a metal spider and drain well on a plate covered with kitchen paper or cooling rack.

Heat a tbsp of vegetable oil in a clean wok. Fry the spice mix for 20 seconds or until fragrant, and toss in the fried chicken. Garnish with spring onion slices and serve.