Velvet Kung Pao Chicken, Restaurant Style

Method

1. Nick any tendons on the inside of the thighs with the tip of your knife and cut into 2 cm cubes. Add the salt, Shaoxing wine, soy sauce and white pepper and massage in one direction for 2 min, until the meat feels tacky and has absorbed the liquid. Mix in the egg white and potato starch to coat thinly, then stir in the oil so the pieces don't stick together. Leave for 15 minutes.

   Add in this stepBoneless, skinless chicken thighs 320 gSalt 1 pinchShaoxing wine 2 tspLight soy sauce (marinade) 1 tspWhite pepper 1 pinchEgg white 2 tbspPotato starch (marinade) 2 tspCooking oil (to coat the chicken) 2 tsp

2. Snip the chilies into 2 cm pieces and shake out the seeds, cut the scallion whites into 1.5 cm lengths and thinly slice the garlic and ginger. In a small bowl, stir together the vinegar, sugar, light and dark soy sauce, stock and sauce starch until the sugar dissolves. Taste it: sour first, with sweetness following behind. That is the classic Sichuan lychee flavour.

   Add in this stepChinese black vinegar (Chinkiang) 1 tbspSugar 1 tbspLight soy sauce 1 tbspDark soy sauce ½ tspChicken stock 45 mlPotato starch (sauce) 1 tsp

3. Put the peanut oil and peanuts into a cold 28 cm wok and fry gently over medium-low heat for 6 min, stirring. When the peanuts are pale gold and the crackling is about to die down, lift them out with a sieve and spread them out to cool. Carry-over heat darkens and crisps them one shade more.

   Add in this stepPeanut oil (or other neutral oil) for velveting 120 mlRaw peanuts, skinned 60 g

   medium-low heat

4. Heat the same oil over medium heat to about 140°C (a wooden chopstick dipped in gives off slow, small bubbles). Add the chicken, separating the pieces with chopsticks, and cook for 2 min, until white outside but still slightly underdone inside. Drain in a sieve. Number of batches: 1.

   medium heat

5. Pour off all but 1 tbsp of oil and save the rest. Over low heat, stir the chilies and Sichuan peppercorns for 45 sec, until the chilies turn a dark brick red and smell of toasted, almost scorched chili, without going black.

   Add in this stepDried red chilies 10Red Sichuan peppercorns 1½ tsp

   low heat

6. Turn up to high heat, add the garlic, ginger and scallion and stir for 30 sec until fragrant.

   Add in this stepGarlic cloves 4Fresh ginger 12 gScallions, white parts 3

   high heat

7. Return the chicken, give the sauce a stir, pour it in and toss over high heat for 1 min with big folding motions. It is ready when the sauce has thickened, the chicken is glossy and a little red oil seeps out at the edge (75°C in the centre of the chicken).

   high heat

8. Turn off the heat, add the peanuts and sesame oil, toss two or three times and serve on a warm plate right away.

   Add in this stepToasted sesame oil ½ tsp