Mala Chicken (Firecracker Chicken)

MARINADE

• 6 slices ginger

• 1 stalk spring onion cut in sections

• 1 teaspoon light soy sauce

• 1 teaspoon Shaoxing rice wine

• 1 tsp sesame oil

• 1/4 teaspoon sugar

• 1 pinch ground white pepper

• Pinch of cornstarch

FOR STIR FRY

• 50 ml cooking oil

• 30 g dried chillies or to taste

• 1 teaspoon whole Sichuan peppercorn

• 8 slices ginger

• 4 cloves garlic sliced

• 1 tsp dark soy sauce

• 1 teaspoon light soy sauce

• 1 pinch sugar

• 1 teaspoon Shaoxing rice wine

• 1 teaspoon toasted sesame seeds

• 1 stalk spring onion finely chopped

• Fresh chillis finely chopped

• Cut the chicken into bite-size cubes and prepare your marinade ingredients by chopping thick slices of the spring onion and ginger. Prepare your Wok Clock: on one side place the garlic (big chunks so it doesn't burn too quickly) and thick slices of ginger. On the other side of the Wok Clock place your garnish: thin sliced spring onion and finely sliced chilli. Place the dried whole chillis at 12-o-clock and the crushed Sichuan peppercorns at 6-o-clock.

• Mix the chicken with all the marinade ingredients and leave to marinate for 20 minutes (or longer if you wish). Remember to move the ginger and spring onion before frying.

• Get your wok up to a high heat, and add the dried chilli first to release their aroma. Once they have a little colour, pop them back into the bowl. At this stage add oil to the wok, get the heat up again and add the ginger and garlic. Stir fry for a few seconds and then push those to the back of the wok, and add the chicken. Fold the garlic and ginger over the top of the chicken to stop them from over-cooking. Sear the chicken on all sides, pressing down with a ladle to ensure the chicken browns all over. Once the chicken is 80 percent cooked, add the chilli, sichuan peppercorns, Shaoxing rice wine, light soy ,sesame oil, dark soy sauce and sugar.

• Bring the sauce to a boil, and make sure it is nice and sticky. Then kill the heat and garnish. Garnish with toasted sesame seeds, finely sliced chillis and spring onions