Gunpowder chicken with dried red chillies & peanuts

• boneless, skinless chicken thighs↗12

  (about 900g), cut into pieces

• dark soy sauce↗1 tbsp tbsp
• vegetable oil↗2 tbsp tbsp
• whole dried bird's-eye chillies↗15
• Sichuan peppercorn↗1 tsp tsp

  ground

• bunch spring onions↗

  cut into 2.5cm pieces

• whole roasted peanut↗50g g
• dark soy sauce↗5 tbsp tbsp
• Shaohsing rice wine↗2 tbsp tbsp
• Chinese black vinegar↗4 tbsp tbsp
• chicken stock↗4 tbsp tbsp
• caster sugar↗1 tbsp tbsp
• cornflour↗1 tbsp tbsp

  mixed into 1 tbsp water

Step-by-step instructions

1. 1

   Marinate the chicken with the soy and leave to sit for 1 hr. If you don’t have time to marinate, don’t worry – but it does add extra flavour. Mix the sauce ingredients in a small bowl and set aside.

2. 2

   Using a wok and a small amount of the oil, sear the chicken in batches. When it’s all browned, remove from the pan and set aside. Snip the stems from the chillies and shake out the seeds. Add the remaining oil and cook the chillies for 1 min, shaking the pan constantly to prevent them burning. Add the chicken back in with the peppercorns, spring onions and peanuts, then stir-fry for 1 min more. Add the sauce and stir for a few mins more until thickened.