Salt and Pepper Chicken

Ingredients

• 500g (1 ¼ lb) skinless chicken thighs or breasts, cut into 2.5cm (1 inch) pieces
• Oil for deep frying
• 2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
• 2 red chillies, thinly sliced
• 1 onion, thinly sliced
• 1 green bell pepper, thinly sliced
• 4 spring onions (scallions), thinly sliced
• 4 dried red chillies, cut into thirds and seeds removed
• MARINADE INGREDIENTS
• 1 large egg white
• 1 tbsp Chinese rice wine or dry sherry
• 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 1 tbsp soy sauce
• 2 tbsp cornflour (corn starch)
• FOR THE DRY INGREDIENTS
• 130g (1 cup) cornflour (corn starch)
• ½ tsp baking powder
• ½ tsp salt
• 1 tsp ground black pepper
• ½ tsp Chinese five spice
• ½ tsp Chinese chicken powder (OPTIONAL) see note below

Steps

1. In a large mixing bowl, whisk all of the marinade ingredients together until thick and smooth. Add the chicken and mix well with to coat. Allow to marinate while you prepare the rest of the ingredients or overnight. The longer the chicken marinates, the better.
2. Mix all of the dry ingredients together on a large plate and set aside until you are ready to fry the chicken.
3. To fry the chicken, fill your wok about a third full with oil and bring to 175c/350f over medium high heat Dredge the marinated chicken in the flour mixture and be sure to shake off any excess flour. Fry the chicken pieces in batches for about 3 to 4 minutes or until light and crispy on the exterior.
4. Transfer to paper towels to soak up any excess oil and continue until all the chicken is cooked. Discard or sieve the oil into a container to use again and wipe your wok dry. Heat a wok over high heat. You can start cooking when a bead of water dissolves on contact with the hot wok.
5. Heat about 2 tbsp rapeseed (canola) or peanut oil in the wok and add the slivered garlic and chillies. Stir into the oil to coat and then add the sliced onion and spring onions (scallions). Stir to combine.
6. Now add the fried chicken and sliced bell peppers and continue cooking until the chicken is heated through and the bell peppers are cooked but still have a bit of crunch to them.
7. Serve immediately with white rice.