Kung Pao Popcorn Chicken Cups

Method

1. Cut the chicken into 2 cm bites and toss with the soy sauce, Shaoxing wine, grated garlic and white pepper. Leave for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, shake the seeds out of the chilies and snip them into coarse flakes, roughly chop the peanuts and slice the scallions.

   Add in this stepBoneless, skinless chicken thighs 240 gSoy sauce (marinade) 2 tspShaoxing wine (or dry sherry) 1 tspGarlic cloves, grated (marinade) 1White pepper 1 pinch

2. Pour the frying oil into a 18 cm deep pot (at least 3 cm deep) and heat over medium-high heat for 7 min to 170°C. A dry wooden chopstick dipped in should give off a steady stream of small bubbles.

   Add in this stepOil for frying 600 ml

   medium-high heat

3. Add the potato starch to the chicken, toss to coat and wait 1 minute until the starch looks damp. Drop the pieces in one by one and fry over medium heat for 4 min, until pale golden, then lift onto a rack. Number of batches: 2.

   Add in this stepPotato starch (coating) 4 tbsp

   medium heat

4. Turn up to high heat to bring the oil to about 190°C, return all the chicken and fry for 1 min more, until deep golden and it sounds crunchy when you shake the strainer. Drain well.

   high heat

5. Heat the glaze oil in a 24 cm pan over low heat and stir the chili flakes, ground Sichuan pepper and minced garlic for 30 sec until fragrant. Add the honey, vinegar and soy sauce, turn up to medium heat and bubble for 1 min, until large bubbles form and it turns lightly syrupy. Turn off the heat.

   Add in this stepCooking oil (glaze) 1 tspDried red chilies 5Sichuan peppercorns, finely ground ½ tspGarlic cloves, minced 2Honey 2 tbspChinese black vinegar (Chinkiang) 2 tspSoy sauce 2 tsp

   low heat→medium heat

6. Add the fried chicken to the pan and quickly toss until every piece is glazed. Sprinkle with the peanuts, scallions and sesame seeds, pile into paper cups and serve at once.

   Add in this stepRoasted unsalted peanuts 30 gScallions 1Toasted sesame seeds 1 tsp