Name: Chilli chicken
Total time: 25 min
Yield: Serves 4
Cuisine: Chinese
Ingredients: 400g chicken thigh fillets, each cut into 4; 2 tbsp soy sauce; ground to make ½ tsp black peppercorns; 5 tbsp cornflour; sunflower oil, for shallow frying; sea salt flakes; steamed rice, to serve; 1 tbsp sunflower oil; 1 onion, chopped; 2 green peppers, chopped; 2 red chillies, thinly sliced; 2 green chillies, thinly sliced; 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped; 3 tbsp soy sauce; 1½ tbsp runny honey; 1½ tbsp rice vinegar; 3 tsp cornflour

400g chicken thigh fillets
each cut into 4
2 tbsp soy sauce
ground to make ½ tsp black peppercorns
5 tbsp cornflour
sunflower oil
for shallow frying
sea salt flakes
steamed rice
to serve

SAUCE

1 tbsp sunflower oil
1 onion
chopped
2 green peppers
chopped
2 red chillies
thinly sliced
2 green chillies
thinly sliced
4 cloves garlic
finely chopped
3 tbsp soy sauce
1½ tbsp runny honey
1½ tbsp rice vinegar
3 tsp cornflour

Method

step 1
Tip the chicken into a bowl with the soy and black pepper, and mix well. Marinate for at least 30 minutes, or longer if you have time. Drain off any liquid into a small bowl, then toss in the cornflour and mix well.
step 2
To make the sauce, heat the oil in a wok or frying pan over a high heat and stir-fry the onion and peppers for 5 minutes until charred at the edges and beginning to soften.
step 3
Tip in the chillies and garlic, and cook for a minute more. Remove from the heat and add the soy, as well as any drained liquid from the marinated chicken, the honey and rice vinegar. Mix the cornflour with 100ml of cold water, then tip into the pan. Put back over a medium heat, mix and reduce for 8-10 minutes or until saucy. Keep warm.
step 4
Fill a deep frying pan with 1cm of oil and heat over a medium-high heat. Fry the chicken pieces in batches for 5 minutes on each side until crisp and golden. Tip onto kitchen paper and season with sea salt flakes.
step 5
Tip the crispy chicken into the sauce and toss to coat. Serve with lots of steamed rice.