Wun’s kung pao chicken

Method

1. Put the marinade ingredients and 75ml water in a food processor or spice grinder and whizz until smooth (or pound together in a pestle and mortar).
2. Cut each chicken thigh into 4-6 pieces and put in a bowl. Add the marinade, toss to coat, then set aside for at least 20 minutes (see Make Ahead).
3. For the kung pao sauce, whizz the sichuan peppercorns in a spice grinder (or pound in a pestle and mortar), then tip into a pan with the doubanjiang, black rice vinegar, soy sauce, honey and 100ml water. Add the butter, then put the pan over a medium heat to warm through and melt the butter – you don’t want it to boil. Mix in the yogurt, then keep warm until ready to serve.
4. Heat a large deep pan with the vegetable oil (no more than two-thirds full) until it reads 180°C on a probe thermometer (or a cube of bread turns brown in 15 20 seconds).
5. Meanwhile, mix the cornflour and tapioca flour in a large bowl. Add the marinated chicken and use your hands to make sure each piece is well coated. The coating may look uneven, but this will create delicious crispy bits. Working in batches, use tongs to lower the chicken into the hot oil and fry until the pieces are crisp, lightly golden and cooked all the way through (about 3-4 minutes).
6. Drain the fried chicken, then add to a bowl, toss with a few spoonfuls of the kung pao sauce and sprinkle with sesame seeds – enjoy!