Honey Chilli Potato

Before you start

• Soak the cut batons in cold water for 20 minutes to wash off surface starch, then drain and dry them completely on a cloth.
• Toast the sesame in a dry pan until it pops and smells nutty, and set it aside before you start frying.
• This dish is deep-fried twice. Do not attempt it in shallow oil — the batons need to swim to crisp evenly.
• Have the glaze ingredients measured into one bowl; the toss at the end takes 90 seconds.

Method

1. Dry the soaked batons thoroughly, then toss with 5 tbsp cornflour, the maida, 1/2 tsp kashmiri chilli and 1/2 tsp salt until dusty and separate.Any water left on the potato turns the coating to glue and it will slide off in the oil.
2. Heat the oil in a kadhai to 160C and fry the batons in three batches for 5 minutes each, until cooked through but still pale. Drain.This first fry is about cooking the inside, not colour. Pull them out while they are still blond.
3. Rest the fried batons 10 minutes, then raise the oil to 190C and fry each batch again for 2 minutes until deep gold and rigid. Drain on paper.The rest between fries is what makes them stay crisp under a wet glaze. Do not skip it.
4. Heat 2 tbsp oil in a wide pan, add the broken dried chillies and the garlic and fry 45 seconds until fragrant.
5. Add the green chilli, the remaining 1 tsp kashmiri chilli, the soy sauce, vinegar, black pepper and 100ml water and boil 1 minute.
6. Stir in the honey and slake 1 tbsp cornflour in 2 tbsp cold water; add it and cook until the glaze is thick, shining and sticky, about 1 minute.Add the honey off a rolling boil. Hard-boiled honey turns bitter.
7. Tip in the hot potatoes and toss for 30 seconds — just long enough to lacquer them.
8. Take off the heat, throw in the sesame and spring onion greens, toss once and turn out onto a platter. Serve within 5 minutes; this dish waits for nobody.

Storage

Eat immediately — the glaze softens the crust within 15 minutes. The first fry can be done 4 hours ahead and held at room temperature; do the second fry and glaze to order.