Ingredients

• 1 tbsp yellow bean sauce
• 2 tbsp low-sodium light soy sauce
• 1 tbsp tomato purée
• 1 tbsp rice vinegar
• 1 tbsp hot chilli sauce
• 1 tsp light brown sugar or honey
• 1 tsp dark soy sauce
• 1 tbsp potato flour or cornflour
• 350g/12oz (4 small) chicken thighs
• deboned
• skinned and cut into 1x2.5cm/½x1in strips
• 1 tbsp rapeseed oil
• 2 garlic cloves
• smashed
• 5 dried Sichuan chillies
• 1 onion
• cut into 2cm/¾in cubes
• 1 large red pepper
• seeds removed
• cut into 2cm/¾in cubes
• 1 tbsp Shaoxing rice wine or dry sherry
• 4 spring onions
• cut into 2cm/¾in pieces
• 75g/2½oz peanuts
• toasted and chopped
• sea salt and ground white pepper
• toasted sesame seeds
• to garnish
• 300g/10½oz thin egg noodles
• 2 tsp toasted sesame oil
• 1 tbsp rapeseed oil
• 100g/3½oz Chinese garlic chives
• cut on an angle to 5mm/¼in pieces
• 100g/3½oz dried Chinese mushrooms
• soaked in hot water for 20 minutes
• stem discarded
• cut into 5mm/¼in strips
• 1 tbsp Shaoxing rice wine
• 1 tbsp mushroom sauce or oyster sauce
• pinch caster sugar
• 2 tbsp low-sodium light soy sauce
• handful of beansprouts
• 1 spring onion
• thinly sliced
• to garnish (optional)

Directions

• For the chicken
• mix all the sauce ingredients in a bowl and set aside.
• Mix the potato flour with a pinch of sea salt and white pepper in a bowl. Add the chicken and toss to coat well.
• Heat a wok over a high heat until it starts to smoke
• then add the rapeseed oil. Add the garlic and dried chillies and stir-fry for a few seconds. Add the onion and red pepper and stir-fry for 15 seconds
• or until crisp on the edges.
• Push the ingredients to one side of the wok. Add the chicken and let it brown for 10 seconds
• then cook
• tossing
• for 30 seconds. Before it has turned completely opaque
• season with rice wine. Continue to cook for 1 minute
• or until cooked through.
• Pour in the sauce and cook for 1 minute
• or until it has reduced by half and is slightly sticky. Toss in the spring onions and peanuts
• then transfer to a serving plate while you cook the noodles.
• For the noodles
• cook the noodles according to the packet instructions
• then drain and dress in 1 teaspoon sesame oil (you can do this in advance to save time). Next heat a wok over a high heat and add the rapeseed oil. Add the garlic chives and cook for 30 seconds
• then add the Chinese mushrooms and cook for 10 seconds.
• Add the rice wine and cook until evaporated. Add the prepared noodles and toss well for 30 seconds. Season with the mushroom sauce
• sugar and light soy sauce. Gently toss and fold in the beansprouts. Season with the remaining teaspoon of sesame oil
• garnish with the spring onion and serve immediately alongside the chicken.