Ingredients

serves 4:
Chicken and Marinade:
8 boneless chicken thighs, chopped into bite-sized chunks
1 tbsp dark soy sauce
1 tbsp light soy sauce
1 tbsp Chinese rice wine
¼ tsp white pepper
2 tbsp cornflour (cornstarch)

For Frying:
1 cup sunflower oil (240 ml)
1 tbsp sesame oil
1 onion, chopped into chunks
25 dried red chillies (chop 5 into small pieces and leave the rest whole)
1 ½ tsp Sichuan peppercorns, ground
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 tsp minced ginger
5 spring onions, roughly chopped
2 tbsp light soy sauce
1 tbsp Chinese rice wine
1 tbsp chilli bean paste
1 tbsp sweetener of choice

Directions:

Marinate the Chicken:
In a bowl, combine the chicken with dark soy sauce, light soy sauce, Chinese rice wine, white pepper, and cornflour. Mix well, cover, and marinate for 30 minutes (or up to a couple of hours in the refrigerator).

Fry the Chicken:
Heat sunflower oil over medium-high heat in a large frying pan. Add the chicken pieces in batches and cook for 4-5 minutes until golden brown. Remove the chicken from the pan and set aside.

Stir-Fry the Aromatics:
In a wok, heat the reserved oil along with sesame oil over medium-high heat. Add the chopped onion and dried chillies, stir-frying for 2-3 minutes until the onion softens slightly. Add the ground Sichuan peppercorns and fry for another minute.

Add Flavors:
Add the garlic, ginger, and spring onions to the wok, stir-frying for 30 seconds. Then add the light soy sauce, Chinese rice wine, chilli bean paste, and sugar. Stir everything together and fry for another minute.

Combine and Serve:
Return the cooked chicken to the wok and toss everything together. Heat for an additional minute or two until the chicken is hot and well-coated with the sauce. Serve hot with cauliflower or black rice