Chilli Chicken

Before you start

• Marinate the chicken at least 30 minutes ahead, or up to 4 hours in the fridge — it seasons the meat right through, not just the crust.
• Bring the marinated chicken back to room temperature for 15 minutes before frying so the centres cook in the time the coating takes.
• Have the onion, capsicum and aromatics cut and within arm's reach; the sauce is finished on a full flame in under 4 minutes.

Method

1. Mix the chicken with 1 tbsp soy sauce, 1 tsp kashmiri chilli, 1/2 tsp black pepper, 1/2 tsp salt and the beaten egg. Leave 30 minutes.
2. Toss the marinated chicken with 4 tbsp cornflour and the maida until each piece wears a dry, slightly craggy jacket.Add the flours only just before frying. Left to sit they turn to paste and the coating goes gummy.
3. Heat the oil in a kadhai to 180C and fry the chicken in three batches for 4 minutes each, until golden and firm. Drain on paper.Three small batches, not one big one — crowded oil steams the coating instead of crisping it.
4. Heat 2 tbsp oil in a wide pan on the highest flame. Add the garlic, ginger and green chilli and stir 40 seconds until the raw smell goes.
5. Add the spring onion whites, onion and capsicum. Toss for 2 minutes — they should blister at the edges and still snap.
6. Add the remaining 1/2 tsp kashmiri chilli, 2 tbsp soy sauce, the vinegar, sugar and remaining pepper. Pour in 200ml water and boil hard for 1 minute.
7. Slake 2 tbsp cornflour in 4 tbsp cold water and stir it in. The sauce thickens to a glaze in under a minute.Stop while it still moves in the pan. It will tighten further as it meets the hot chicken.
8. Return the fried chicken, toss for 30 seconds so every piece is lacquered, and pull the pan off the heat.
9. Check the salt, scatter the spring onion greens and serve hot with fried rice or noodles.

Storage

Eat immediately. Leftovers keep 2 days refrigerated but the coating softens; revive in a hot dry pan for 3 minutes rather than a microwave.